The Walls Between Us
by pietoraven36
Summary: The borders between the realms are becoming less reliable and Thor is trying to prevent any invasions from happening. Loki is in prison and the Avengers have assembled to prevent attacks. Unfortunately, familial conflict and unknown realms cause trouble. This story is mostly based on Thor and Loki. Please read, review, and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**So, like many Loki fans, I feel that Thor: Ragnarok made Loki seem a bit weak. Thor too. If you don't feel this, you will still love this. They are my favorite characters, so while I will include most of the original Avengers, they will be my focus. Spiderman, Falcon, and any others that have joined will not be in this story if they were not in The Avengers. Much love, but I don't know them (nor love them) well enough to write them. :)**  
 **I am a fan of the old Marvel movies: Thor, The Avengers, and Thor 2 was pretty good. I like almost all of the Avengers, but I am not a fan of Hawkeye and Black Widow simply because I am a fan of Loki and they were not very nice to him. (No one was, but they were the worst to him. And btw, I DO know he was trying to take over earth, lol)**  
 **Anyway, this story is going to be at the start of Thor: The Dark World and create Avengers 2. Loki has been put in prison, defiant as ever. Frigga has been killed by Elves, but they were neutralized by Thor quickly. Then several months later (7-8), Thor realizes something else has been going on between the realms and the Avengers assemble or whatever. Loki has taken Frigga's death very hard.**  
 **This is fanfiction and while they may not be this way now, how I write the characters is how I envision they should be. Characters will be similar to how they were in Avengers.**  
 **Please enjoy. And please review**.

Frigga's death had taken its toll on Asgard. The realm had ceased its celebrations for the time being. It was quiet when they walked through the streets and although people still conversed and spent time with each other, their manner was quite subdued.

Prince Thor had stayed near his father's side through all of it, seeing as the realms were at peace.  
His friends had often tried to get him to join them in their adventures. He had yielded a few times, but he preferred to remain in Asgard.

Today, however, was different. Heimdall had summoned him to the Bifrost. That's where he was headed now, hammer hanging form his hand.

Heimdall stared off the edge, sword gripped between his hands.

"You walk slowly these days, my prince." he said as Thor approached.

Thor laughed quietly at the ground "What words of wisdom do you have planned for me this day?"

"I have none to give. There is trouble elsewhere." Heimdall replied. Thor walked closer to him, face in a concerned frown.

"It seems that there have been numerous break throughs in the realms. Midgard has suffered the worst." Heimdall said, his voice as calm as ever.

"What kind of break throughs?" Thor asked, scowling.

"The Jotuns have found a way onto Midgard. I have seen only a few there and they returned back to Jotunheim quickly." Heimdall replied, yellow eyes reflecting the stars "They are quite restless. Thoughts of invasion have been spoken."

"Where is this entrance they have found?" Thor asked, hand tightening on the hammer "How is this possible?"

"I cannot see it." Heimdall said "It is shielded from my eyes. I recall the time your brother allowed Jotuns into Asgard. I could not see then either."

"Yes, but Loki is in prison. He has no power out here." Thor replied, waving a hand slightly.

"Loki is not behind this." Heimdall said "But like then, my eyes are shielded. Have you spoken to him lately?"

"No." Thor said "Odin spoke of isolation as part of his punishment."

Heimdall raised his chin "Your friends on Midgard. They have gathered, but I do not believe they know what has occurred."

Thor walked toward the edge of the Bifrost, staring down, almost as if he wished he could see "Where are they?"

"The city which the Chitari attacked." Heimdall replied.

"I must tell Odin of this." Thor said, turning.

"Wait. There have been others. I have seen the Chitari in Valaheim." Heimdall replied.

"Chitari? I thought they were all killed on Earth." Thor said with a frown.

Heimdall lifted up the sword and turned to the gold pedestal with a sigh "Many survived that battle. Valaheim has been able to fend off the few that have entered. I only tell you this as a warning."

"Are those the only realms?" Thor asked.

"Those are the ones that I have seen." Heimdall replied "Since I am blind to the portals, I will not know until they are within the realm."

* * *

"Where are the entrances they have found?" Odin asked, repeating his son's earlier question as he walked down the steps from his throne. After hearing the news, the king had ordered several guards to search the borders of Asgard for invaders.  
Thor followed him as he walked down the hall "Heimdall cannot see them. I need to return to Earth to prevent any attacks from the Jotuns."

Odin stopped, staff grasped in his hand. He faced away from his son.

"Asgard is at peace." he said, looking up. He almost appeared to be talking to himself "The realms appear to to be safe. You may return to Earth." he turned to Thor "But if Jotunheim invades then you must come back and take more Asgardians with you. I do not want you to attempt to face them alone, no matter the support of Midgard. Lady Sif and the warriors will assist you if necessary."

"Thank you, father." Thor said. Odin had definitely grown older in the past months grieving for the queen. It was surprising that the Allfather had not objected to Thor's wishes. Many times he was not in his right mind.

The king picked up his staff and began walking down the hall towards his quarters. Thor turned back around to return to the Bifrost.


	2. Earth

**Also, this is fanfiction so things in here can't all be explained. Much like the movies lol. Please review!**

"So what is this exactly?" Black Widow asked, looking at a picture that Tony had handed her.

"I don't know." Tony said, holding out his hands and walking towards her "I was hoping you might know. I thought it might have something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Well, if it does, I don't know anything about it." Black Widow responded "Have you tried contacting Fury?"

"See, I tried, but he's generally too busy to take my calls." Tony said, flicking his glasses around. They were all sitting in the living room of Stark/Avengers tower, looking at a blurry photo. Thor seemed particularly interested.

"Or he doesn't think it's worth his time." Hawkeye muttered, purposely loudly enough to be heard. His eyes flicked up to Tony, who dropped his hands in annoyance.

"You think this is funny, don't you?"

"No. Not funny at all." Hawkeye said with a small smile.

"Where was this taken?" Thor asked, looking at the picture in concern. It contained a blue blur that had the shape of a humanoid figure. It had one arm extended in an obvious strike position. Captain America stood near the window, arms folded as he looked out.

"Funny thing." Tony said, pointing at him "I have no idea.

"Then why do you have it?" Captain America asked. He leaned back on the window and looked at him with a rather contemptful expression.

"You know, I'm thinking about not telling you because that tone was very rude." Tony said, backing off with raised eyebrows.

"Okay." Hawkeye sat up "Let's go, Nat."

"Are you sure this isn't one of your own things?" Black Widow asked, looking up at him.

"Umm...yeah, because one of my 'things' took this picture." Tony said pointing at it again "And was then destroyed."

"Then why don't you know where it was?" Captain America asked, sounding slightly more sharp.

"I sent about twenty of my suits out a few days ago. They were examining some areas around the U.S. Scouting out, you could say, for land that I could purchase." Tony said, fiddling with a pencil "And, uh, I got this picture back a second before I lost all connections with the one that took it. And I mean like ALL connections." he waved his hands "Gone."

Black Widow set down the picture.

"So, what?"

"'So what.'" Tony mimicked "In order to cut all connections, something big has to happen. A short circuit or something." he tapped the picture a few times "How does THIS do that?"

Black Widow glanced at Hawkeye.

"I know how." Thor said, walking forward and picking up the picture "This is a frost giant. It can freeze things just by being near it, let alone attacking."

"What?" Captain America asked, walking over to him.

"They come from the realm Jotunheim." Thor said "Centuries ago, my father defeated them in battle and took away their power. They have not traveled through realms since. Until now."

"So this thing is alien?" Captain America asked, glancing at it.

"It is why I traveled here today." Thor replied "I had hoped they hadn't come in contact with any humans. That appears it may not be the case."

"So if they haven't been able to travel through realms, why are they able to do it now?" Black Widow asked, looking at him.

"They have found...an entrance into your realm." Thor said, hand over his chin "This should'nt have been possible. Heimdall, our watchman, noticed that they had broken through to Earth."

"Where?" Captain America asked.

"Well, I don't know, so I hope he does." Tony said.

Thor shook his head "We don't. I came to find out if any of you did."

"Stark, were any of these out of the United States?" Captain America asked.

"That's a good question." Tony said "Hey Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir." came a robot voice from around them.

"Where were the rest of the suits when the one went dead?" he asked.

"Several of them were in New Jersey, some were in Connecticut, and a few remained here in New York."

"So none were out of the U.S.?" Tony asked, walking over to his transparent computer screens.

"That is correct, sir."

"So there's a safe bet that the one I lost was in the United States." Tony said.

"Which state?" Captain America asked.

"You know, you're getting that tone that I don't like again." Tony replied.

"I don't like that you're not taking this seriously." Captain America said "Or do not remember what happened right ouside this building?"

"Oh you're damn right I do." Tony said, face serious now.

"We have Earth under watch and I will remain here until I have found where they entered." Thor said.

"Where's Banner?" Tony asked, looking around even though he knew he wasn't there "I told him to come, where is that S.O.B.?"

"Where are we supposed to start looking?" Captain America asked Thor.

"Well in New Jersey, uh Conneticut, and New York." Thor replied simply, with a wave of his hand.

"Those are rather big areas." Black Widow said, peering up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We need to start somewhere." Captain America replied, taking steps toward the elevator "How will we identify where they came in, Thor?"

"We can't." Thor replied "Unless we find it ourselves and go through or they come in themselves for us to see."

"So we have to wait for them to attack before we can do anything?" Black Widow asked.

"We're going to keep watch on Asgard. Heimdall will warn us." Thor said.

"I thought you said he couldn't see them." Captain America asked sharply.

"He can see all activity on Jotunheim." Thor replied, sounding serious "We are not responsible for the actions of other realms."

"We need to tell Fury about this." Black Widow said, standing up.

"It will be on national news soon if they invade again." Captain America said.

"That's why we need to get to Conneticut, New Jersey, and New York to search for them." Thor replied.

"It might be better if we have somewhere else to stay." Captain America said "Somewhere off the charts. We can't stay here, too many people will notice."

"Well, I was going to offer here, but it sounds like you have somewhere else in mind?" Tony said questioningly, holding out a hand to him.

"No." Captain America replied, looking at him in annoyance "I was just saying it might be better to keep low."

"No, offense, but wouldn't it be best if people knew about this?" Black Widow asked.

"Mass panic has never been helpful." Captain America said.

"I mean, the government." Black Widow replied "Fury should probably know about this."

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Tony asked "Fury doesn't want to answer."

"You." Black Widow said.

"Oh I'd like to see you try to contact him. If he answers you, I'm out." Tony said, hands up "We can't be friends."

"We don't have time to wait for Nick Fury." Thor jumped into the conversation "We need to start securing borders now."

"How do we know this isn't happening...all over the world?" Tony asked. Captain America looked at Thor.

"There is no way to know this." Thor replied "But we to start somewhere."

"Well if you can all stop arguing, I have a place we can stay at." Hawkeye said, glancing around. As they looked at him, he took a deep breath "It's completely off charts."

"Where?" Captain America asked.

PLEASE REVIEW MY WONDERFUL MARVEL BUDDIES.


	3. Secrets and Suggestions

"Where are we going?" Tony asked "Because I feel like this is called the the middle of nowhere."

"It is." Black Widow responded, gazing out the window of the moving car.

"Are we even still in the United States?" Tony asked, looking around. He tipped his glasses down.

Hawkeye hadn't spoken much as he drive the car along a dirt road. He had his sunglasses on and one hand on the steering wheel. Thor seemed to be in deep thought as he shifted back and forth with the movement of the car.

"Hey guys I feel like this could be a little dangerous for me." Banner said uneasily "These trees all look nice, it might be a shame to..." he waved his hands "You know."

"Just keep skin color and you'll be fine." Black Widow said back to him. Dr. Banner had shown up as the others were leaving the building. Tony had given him quite the indignant scolding.

"That doesn't seem like something to joke about." Captain America said, looking at Black Widow.

"Hey, he started it, not me." she replied offhandedly.

"Oh look, I see a sign of civilization." Stark said, glancing out the window. He made a small face "Partial...civilization." he looked at Black Widow for a second.

They were driving up to a large white house, that honestly wasn't especially appealing, but it had a calm atmosphere.

"What is this?" Captain America asked as Hawkeye pulled to a stop.

"You'll see." Hawkeye replied, opening the door and slinging his pack over his shoulder.

"I really feel like I could've flown here faster." Tony said with a grunt as he got out of the car.

* * *

"Alright is this some sort of secret SHIELD base?" Tony asked, looking up and around the house "Because if it is, they really need a renovation."

"This has nothing to do with SHIELD." Hawkeye replied.

"Oh really?" Tony asked, sounding mockingly interested as he turned to the door. Hawkeye opened it and pushed it inside.

There was a little girl inside who looked up from her coloring book.

"Daddy!" she cried, getting up to run over to him. Hawkeye picked her up with a grunt.

"Hey kiddo. How you doing?" he asked as he hugged her. Tony stared at him with his mouth open.

"Clint?" a voice came from inside the kitchen.

A woman appeared, wiping her hands on a towel. She looked slightly aghast as she looked at the group standing in her living room.

"These must be SHIELD agents of some kind." Tony said, pointing two fingers at them.

"Natasha!" the girl waved at Black Widow, who smiled at her.

"Guys, this is my wife Laura." Hawkeye said, walking over to her and putting a hand on my back.

"Wife?" Tony asked. He looked at the others and asked more quietly "Wife?"

"I had SHIELD keep her completely out of the files." Hawkeye said "To make sure she stayed safe. I didn't want anyone to come looking for her."

Laura was looking at all of them and then at the stairs as two little boys came running down. Captain America watched them, shield moving slightly.

"Well this is new." Tony said. He looked at Thor "Are you married?"

* * *

"Why are they all here?" Laura asked, watching the others in the living room. Hawkeye stood beside her, leaning on the counter.

"It might be better if you don't know." he said honestly with a sigh "I'm sorry to bring them all in like this."

"It's okay." Laura said. Then she smiled "We're going to need a few more groceries though."

"Oh, they don't eat food." Hawkeye said. Laura laughed down at the ground.

"And don't be afraid of them." he said, picking up an apple "Thor looks big, but he's a hugger."

"He doesn't look like it." Laura replied "He does look big though." she looked at her husband "Clint, is everything okay?"

"It'll be fine." Hawkeye replied "Just trust us."  
"I do, but." she shrugged and walked over to him with a sigh "Generally when this kind of a group gets together, it's something bad."

* * *

"Alright, so apparently, this group needs to have a chat about secrets." Tony said, walking in front of Hawkeye and Captain America, who were sitting on the couch.

"I think secrets are just that. Secrets." Black Widow said, looking up at him.

"Yes, but you knew." Tony said, pointing two fingers at her.

"We've been friends for longer." she replied.

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on guys, We're supposed to be a team. Look, if Barton dies who's is supposed to take care of Laura?"

"I'm the one who has to worry about that, not you." Hawkeye said. He still appeared calm and casual as ever.

Tony let out an annoyed breath and walked over to the front door.

"Look, he has a point." Captain America said, looking down at Hawkeye with his arms folded "I'm not saying I wouldn't have done the same thing though."

There were a few bangs upstairs from where the kids were playing. Everyone glanced up there for a second before Captain America spoke.

"Thor, where do you think we should start?" he asked.

"I need to speak to Heimdall first." Thor replied "But there isn't anything we can do until the Jotuns make a move."

"But we can't just wait for them to attack Earth, you realize that, right?" Banner asked.

"I'm sorry, you missed that part of the conversation when you didn't show up when I called you." Tony said.

"You just expect me to drop everything the second I get a phone call." Banner replied.

"Well, if the world needs saving, we could certainly use a Hulk." Tony said.

"Thor." Captain America said, cutting off the others "Keep going."

"We have to wait for the Jotuns to act before we can identify where they are entering." Thor said, moving his hand definitively. He took in a deep breath "There might be another way though."

"What?" Captain America asked.

"There is someone on Asgard who has experience with secret entrances." Thor said "He might be able to help."

"Then bring him down." Tony replied, walking over with his arms out "What are you waiting for?"

"It might be a bit harder than you think." Thor said.

"Why?" Captain America asked with a bit of suspicion in his voice.

"It's Loki." Thor replied.

"No." Banner said, staring at him "No no no, you didn't just suggest that."

"He has knowledge of the pathways between realms." Thor replied.

"You actually think it would be a good idea to bring him back here?" Captain America asked in astonishment.

"Loki has been in prison for many months." Thor said, stepping towards him "He has had contact with no one and is virtually powerless except for his magic. I will be here to make sure that he does not escape."

"The last time was here, Loki took control of my mind." Hawkeye said, standing up "I'm not in any hurry to repeat that."

"This is the only way to find the entrance so we can stop them before they attack us." Thor said.

"See, you didn't say that." Tony replied, stepping forward "You never said they were going to attack us. Do you know something we don't?"

"I've told you everything I know." Thor said.

"How long would it take him to find it?" Captain America asked.

"I don't know." Thor said "But it will be quicker than if we do it ourselves."

"Guys, are we seriously considering bringing Loki back here?" Black Widow asked.

"I haven't said anything." Banner spoke up.

"He can help us." Thor replied seriously.

"You think he will?" Captain America asked.

 **And I know Laura was pregnant, but decided I wanted the other boy to be born in this story. ;)**  
 **PLEASE REVIEW :D**  
 **P.S. Loki is not going to be how you are used to him right off, just be forewarned.**


	4. Persuasion of the Throne

Thor stepped onto the Bifrost and Heimdall released the sword with a clang.

"You come with a mission." he said, stepping off the pedestal and looking at the Prince of Asgard.

"Where is Odin?" Thor asked, not wanting to go into detail about it.

"He is in his quarters." Heimdall replied "I forewarn you, the King will not release Loki easily."

"I am aware. But he will if it means keeping the nine realms safe." Thor replied, walking past him.

Heimdall seemed like he wanted to say more, but he was reluctant to say anything about the Allfather's state of mind. The Prince spun his hammer and lifted off into the air. Heimdall waited a moment before walking back over to the edge.

* * *

"Do you believe Loki has something to do with these trespasses?" Odin asked, gripping his staff. He sounded very calm as he stared out of the balcony. He hadn't turned to look at his son when he walked in earlier.

"No, father, I don't." Thor replied. He let his hammer hit the ground softly "But he would be very helpful on Earth. We may be able to neutralize the threat before anything destructive happens."

"Why do you belief he would be helpful?" Odin asked "Frigga never knew the paths between realms and her magic far exceeded Loki's."

"I don't think they were really that different. Mother often spoke of Loki's desire to study. Particularly books that she never did." Thor said.

"Dark magic as well." Odin replied. "As a hobby, originally, I know. That has influenced his knowledge."

"Which means he can help." Thor pressed.

"And if Loki escapes?" Odin asked, turning to face his son "You will have a new threat to face."

"The tesseract is not on Earth any longer." Thor said "That was one of the things that drew Loki there in the first place."

"There are other ways he can be harmful, my son." Odin replied.

"I will make sure that Loki doesn't not employ these methods." Thor said "No one has spoken to him since mother's death. I suspect he mourns like us. He knows his sentence."

Odin was quiet for a moment "Thor, this is a hazardous plan."

The Prince looked at the ground in disappointment, but then the Allfather continued.

"I see the need for his assistance. He will need to be carefully monitored. The warriors can accompany you if you find it necessary."

Thor let out a breath of relief "Yes, father."


	5. Persuasion in the Dungeon

**How do you like the story so far? As many people know, it is hard to keep all the Avengers in character, so I try my best. :)**

Thor walked down the steps to the dungeon. There were guards stationed closely together on the path down.

"My Prince." one of them said with a slight bow "What brings you here this day?"

"I need to speak to Loki." he replied shortly.

The guard looked slightly surprised, but he nodded. There were few prisoners in the cells in Asgard these days. Loki was among the three.

Thor walked down the hall lined by guards towards his brother's cell. The transparent golden wall surrounded the small area that he was in. Loki faced away from him. He was lying on the cushioned bed, arms resting across his stomach. The walls of the cell were quite tattered, although they looked like they had been cleaned up. Whether by guards or Loki himself, Thor wasn't sure.

"Loki." Thor said to summon him.

His brother's head turned slightly and then all the way. He rolled off the bed and stood up to face the God of Thunder, face in an expectant scowl. The elder brother wasn't sure if this could be an illusion or not.

"I assume you know about mother's death." Thor said.

Loki turned his face to the side slightly "I assume you know that was almost a year ago. What are you doing here, Thor? You didn't come to see me after she was killed so I don't believe you're coming to grieve now." his voice was very cold.

"I suspect we are past grieving with one another." Thor replied. Loki didn't reply to that, he just continued to stare at him, eyes narrowed.

"We need your help." Thor said, a little taken aback by his brother's unlaughing demeanor.

"We?" Loki asked "Asgard needs...my help." he turned his head in contempt "I'm quite sure Odin would disagree."

"Not Asgard. Earth." Thor said.

Loki scowled again for a moment "And you're coming to me?"

"The Jotuns have found a way onto Earth. We don't know where it is." Thor replied forcefully.

"Well as much as you would love to blame it on me, neither do I." Loki replied, eyebrows up as he turned away.

"Loki, we need your help to find it." Thor said, walking a few more steps to keep pace with him "I need you to come to Earth with me."

His brother stopped and looked at him. He stepped toward the barrier, green eyes emotionless. He leaned forward.

"No."

Thor opened his mouth slightly in shock at Loki's denial.

"You would deny the chance to be free of this place?" he asked with a bit on anger in his voice. He stepped forward to look eye to eye with his brother "Loki, if you come with me now, you may be able to convince father, and me, that you still have tendencies for good."

"What Odin thinks of me is none of my concern." Loki replied, voice seething with bitterness "He cast me out long ago. And so did you. I will not come back the moment you think you can use me."

"You took that upon yourself." Thor said and the hidden Jotun turned away again "I need you to come down to Earth with me. It is not just for their safety, but the safety of all realms." he paused for a moment "This is what mother would have wanted you to do, Loki."

Loki looked at him sharply, eyes angry "Really? How do you know that? She's dead."

"Loki." Thor said sharply "Odin is allowing you to leave this place. Don't deny this now." he paused a moment before adding "Please, brother."

Loki merely stared at him, hands tucked behind his back. His eyes didn't waver, but the coldness in them had dissipated. He appeared to be giving the subject deep thought. Whether or not Thor speaking of their kinship affected him was unclear because he gave no response.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Unrecognized

"Well this is quite the tale." Tony said, flipping a cup in his hand as he stared at the ceiling "Aliens are coming and the Avengers are sitting in a living room waiting for help from the guy who first brought aliens to the planet." He sat up "It's funny. Really funny."

"Well, we'll have him pretty well under wraps this time." Black Widow said.

"It doesn't really matter, he's still coming back." Tony said, setting the cup on the side table. Then he stood up "I, for one, am excited to see him. He did have a certain amount of humor to him."

"I think you'd better keep your mind on why he's coming here." Captain America said.

"It is. I gathered us together, remember that?" Tony asked "Geez, there's only so much a guy can do."

"I just hope Thor comes down in the same place he went up." Hawkeye said, peering out the window.

"I know as pretty as the design is, it doesn't add much for the lawn." Black Widow replied.

Outside there was a small rumble and Hawkeye shook his head in amusement.

"Don't think he did. That sounded a lot closer." he said with a sigh.

"Yep, well let's just hope he didn't hit the porch, is that fair?" Tony replied, walking to the front door.

Thor stood there with Loki, the grass blackened around their feet. Loki looked around for a moment. Thor glanced at him before the two of them walked forward together. Both their faces were painfully stoic.

Captain America came onto the porch with Black Widow and Hawkeye behind him.

Thor came up the steps and Tony spoke to Loki.

"Hello you little bastard, how's taking over planets going?" he asked.

To his surprise, Loki just walked past him. Tony put a hand on his chest.

"Well, I'm offended, he didn't even greet old friends."

"That's because we're not old friends." Captain America said.

"You and I are supposed to be. But somehow I think you missed the memo. Kindness." Tony replied.

"Is that what we are?" Captain America asked, walking past him into the house "Let's just get this done."

* * *

Two Asgard men stood outside the house, silently. They'd been sent for the evening and into the night as an extra precaution. The kids inside were running up and down the stairs as they chased each other.

Laura had made dinner and they'd eaten quickly as if they didn't want to get comfortable. Loki hadn't joined them. Heimdall hadn't reported anymore sitings of Jotuns on Earth so far.

Hawkeye had played with his kids for a minute, although the others still seemed to be a bit surprised about his secret little life. Captain America was sitting next to Dr. Banner and Tony at the table. There was a bottle of scotch sitting out and a few glasses sitting out on the table.

"Oh, by the way, you never told me how calling Fury went." Tony said, popping a piece of something into his mouth. He gazed at Black Widow expectantly.

"He answered." she replied "Said he'd be here tomorrow."

Tony opened his arms, palms towards the ceiling.

"I was...joking, but your face was worth it." Black Widow replied "I didn't reach him. Which means he's probably preoccupied with something else."

"I thought SHIELD was his occupation. And that you two were...buddies." Tony said. He dropped his arms. "Man I feel _so_ in the dark about this group right now."  
"Join _his_ club. He seems quiet." Black Widow said, walking forward slowly. The others stopped talking for a moment as they looked at her. She nodded over at Loki.  
He was standing near the window, far enough away that he didn't overhear them.

"I agree. They must've been tough on him back there." Tony said, tapping the bottom of a fork on the table. He didn't sound especially concerned.

"Where did Thor head off to?" Hawkeye asked "He's the one that's supposed to be watching him."

"Well, I'm sure we got it covered." Tony said, giving him a sideways glance filled with sarcasm.

"Oh come on, be real." Banner said "That guy's freaky. He's all magical and...weird. Just because he doesn't look like Thor doesn't mean he can't kill you just as easily. I don't think it's a good idea to start relaxing yet."

Tony sniffed in annoyance "Look at him, the guy won't even talk, he's not going to do anything."

"I'm sorry, is this you being illogical?" Black Widow asked. She tilted her head "Because that's never happened before."

"Look, Loki's dangerous, it's as simple as that." Captain America said "We need to give him the run down of how it's going to work here.

"Someone needs another drink." Tony said, sliding a glass over.

Thor came in the door of the house and shut it behind him. Loki glanced over at him and his older brother walked over to him. He said something to which Loki replied, and then the God of Thunder went over to the other Avengers.

"For a minute I wondered if you bailed on us." Hawkeye said.

"Loki will be able to help us identify where the Jotuns have been accessing this realm." Thor said, without responding to Hawkeye "Tomorrow, we can start searching the areas."

"And Loki knows if he takes a step wrong then we'll blow him out of the water?" Hawkeye asked.

"Loki is under my guard. He knows the consequences." Thor replied.

"This is going to be a long search." Black Widow said.

"Until we can figure out a more effective method, this is what we'll have to do." Captain America.

"Well." Tony stood up. He walked over into the living room and patted Loki on the shoulder. The God of Michief looked over at him.

"Thanks for coming. It means a lot, buddy." Tony said with a hint of sarcasm as he finished his drink.

Loki continued to look at him for a brief moment, but his eyes returned to the window. Tony turned back around and shrugged at the others as he shook his head in annoyance.

 **BTW, if you have not read the story Second Son by Charis77 then you have sorely missed out. Her portrayal of the childhood of Thor and Loki is outstanding and what my story is sort of based on. Obviously, it follows the story line of after the Avengers, but if you read that, it shows how great the relationship was between Loki and Frigga. So play that story a visit and you will appreciate my views much better. Please review!**


	7. Meek Support

**Please review!**  
 **The next morning...**

"When are you leaving?" The older of Hawkeye's boys asked as his father walked past him.

"I don't know. Sometime today." Hawkeye replied, rubbing him on the head. He walked out of his boy's bedroom and into the master.

Laura came out of the bathroom and folded her arms as she walked over to him with a smile. He held out his arms and hugged her and she sighed.

"It's gonna be a long little while." she said.

Hawkeye chuckled "Tell me about it."

Laura raised an eyebrow at him as they separated.

"So this...Loki guy." she said "He's the one who invaded New York?"

"And killed Phil Colsen and everything else, yep." Hawkeye replied. He sounded blunt, but it was mostly towards their guest enemy.

"Hm." Laura glanced out the window to where Thor, Loki, and Tony stood. Her eyebrows went up "Not who I expected."

"Not the guy who we knew." Hawkeye said, pulling out his bow and arrows from their closet.

"He seems so...sad."

"He probably deserves it." her husband replied, also peering out the window. There was a second of silence.

"Will you be alright today?" Laura asked, pointing out the obvious danger.

"I'm alright every time I go somewhere." Hawkeye replied with a grin.

"I know, but you won't even tell me what this is. That makes it seem a little bit more dangerous. If you know what I mean."  
Hawkeye slung his arrows over his back "Nah, I doubt we'll come across much trouble today. The seven of us SHOULD be able to handle it." he smiled slightly and Laura broke down into a smile. She reached to touch his chest with both hands.

"Just be careful. The kids were so excited you came to visit. Make sure you come back."

"Don't worry, I will be. Steve has a way of making things seem worse than they are."

* * *

"So we'll start looking somewhere in New York." Tony said "I think Rogers wants us to go on foot so we don't miss anywhere." he paused as Loki and Thor looked at him and rolled his eyes "It's something he likes to do. Walking. And perfectionism."

Loki's eyes flicked between Thor and him for a moment, but he said nothing. Black Widow and Captain America came out of the house and came down the steps. Banner followed after a second.

"Where's Barton?" Tony asked, waving a hand "We need to go."

"He's saying goodbye to Laura." Black Widow replied.

"You know, he always struck me as a stand-offish kind of guy." Tony said with a snap of his fingers. He walked over to Captain America.

"Are you ready for this, Rogers?"

"I've done things like this before." he replied "Stark."

* * *

Tony flew above the others, cloaked by his metal suit. The sky was covered by clouds making the overall atmosphere gray.  
"Jarvis." he said.

"Yes, sir."

"Scan for damaged areas." Ironman told him, eyes flicking over the screen in front of him "Especially for areas that have drops in temperatures. Thor said these bastards like to freeze things up."

"I'll keep an eye out, sir."

Meanwhile, Captain America and the others were walking along the barren hillside. They decided to avoid the cities for now because if the Jotuns had gone there, they obviously would have been on the news.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Black Widow called over to them.

"Anything that suggests the Jotuns have been here." Thor replied "That way we can try to the entrance."

Loki followed the God of Thunder, lips forming a small 'o' shape as he looked around warily. Captain America hadn't gone more than a few yards from his side the whole time. Banner took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Black Widow and Hawkeye were following in a jeep, going ahead occasionally. They were all fully armed with weapons, many of them not for fighting Jotuns, but for their visitor from Asgard.

"Hey guys." Ironman said over their intercoms "We've got an intense temperature drop a few miles ahead."

"We'll pick the other guys up." Hawkeye said, turning the steering wheel to the left.

"No need." Thor said, walking forward. Him and Loki looked at eachother briefly before Thor grabbed onto his younger brother. He spun his hammer until it was scarcely a blur and flew in the sky.

Captain America looked after him with an angry sigh. Ironman took off after the God of Thunder.

* * *

Thor and Loki walked around as they looked at the frozen ground. The jeep was parked several yards out as the rest of the Avengers walked forward. Ironman landed with a run and his helmet retracted.

"Is this it?" Captain America asked.

"They've been here." Loki said, still examining the ground. The others looked at him as he spoke for the first time "But there is no passageway here."

"How is that possible?" Captain America asked. He looked around "The ice is just in this spot."

"Uhh...no, there's a few spots up ahead." Tony replied, pointing "Jarvis, count those for me."

"But this could be their general area." Black Widow said.

"Passages between realms are different than this." Loki told them "They have been here, but the portal is not here."

"Really?" Captain America asked, looking at him stoically.

Loki returned his look, but didn't reply to him. Hawkeye scanned the area around them, eyes narrowed.

"Sir, there are sixteen spots up ahead identical to these ones." Jarvis said.

"And yet, this isn't the place?" Banner asked, looking at Loki curiously.

"You asked for my assistance and I'm telling you that there is not an entrance to Jotunheim here." Loki said, eyes hard "You can believe me or not as you wish."

"Loki." Thor said, hammer clenched in his hand. He looked at the others "This means they have traveled through here. We need to keep going." He walked forward, leaving Loki and Captain America to stare at eachother for a moment. Then Loki turned to walk after Thor in silence.

Banner got down on one knee and picked up a few pieces of ice that were on the grass. He showed it to Tony with a scowl.

"This ice isn't melting." he said "And it's still really cold."

"Yeah, I don't think they were kidding about these things." Tony replied, looking after the two Gods.

 **Also, many people believe that Loki was not in control of himself when he attacked Earth. I believe that Thanos manipulated him big time. He was horrible to Loki, because he is innately horrible. He knew that Loki would be useful so he started telling him how much he was wronged. He planted it in his mind that Odin and Thor treated him horribly (and too an extent they did, but they loved him). He sunk that deeper and deeper in Loki's mind. Loki always had a knack for dark magic, but now was being encouraged. When you are tainted by Thanos, it sticks with you and you can do horrible things. The mind stone probably also affected him. I do believe that Loki knew what he was doing. But that the longer you are away from evil, the less you are inclined to do evil. Loki knows that everyone hates him and he believes no one cares about him. Hopefully, he can hang on to the shred of hope that Thor still does, but I make no promises.**  
 **Also, nothing that happened after the Avengers except the beginning of Thor 2 happened in this story. That's when I feel like they really started to decline. Thor 2 was pretty good, but that's pretty much it. I also saw Infinity War and wasn't impressed, although I understand why people loved it so much. If you liked it, I'm so happy for you! I am more of a Thor/Loki fan so that would explain why I stopped liking things after the original Avengers.**

 **Please review and thank you guys so much for all of the follows and favorites!**


	8. Sensitive Suspicions

The sun was now falling behind the trees. Hawkeye pulled the jeep up to the house and cut the engine. To his surprise there was another car there. A big black SUV.

Ironman flew down to the ground and took a few elongated steps to slow himself. His helmet retracted off his head and he walked towards the house.

"He didn't even have the decency to call...back." he said, looking back at the others.

* * *

The already frustrated group walked up the stairs and into the house. The living room was empty and the only light came from the dining room. Nick Fury sat at the table, a bottle on the table in front of him. He wasn't looking in their direction. In fact, he was talking to Laura.

Hawkeye pulled the black quiver from around his shoulder, walking forward as the door shut. Fury looked over and took another drink from his beer.

"Ah. You're back. Find anything to save the world yet?" he asked.

Laura stood up to walk over to her husband, who stood scowling slightly at the leader of SHIELD. When Loki stepped in, he locked eyes with Fury for a moment.

"Well, actually we found a trail." Tony replied sarcastically "Of ice."

"When did you get here?" Captain America asked, walking forward with his shield still in his hand.

"Easy, Cap, I'm just answering a few phone calls." He set down the bottle and stood up "I've been here a while. I didn't see a reason to disturb your efforts."

Loki took a few steps back and left the house again. Captain America looked back as Thor ducked back out of the door to follow his brother.

"Is he cooperating?" Fury asked, nodding after them.

"Actually, he hasn't said much." Tony replied "Much like someone else I know."

"There were a few pressing matters I had to take care of, Stark." Fury said.

"Yes, but this is more important." Tony replied, pointing at the ground and copying the serious face in front of him. Fury looked down at the ground where he had pointed for a moment.

"I have a hard time imagining the kind of things that take priority in your life, but go ahead, enlighten me. And include the part in which we had to call upon a past enemy to assist us with our problems."

"You might want to come in and sit down." Black Widow said with a small smile.

Captain America turned around to walk over to the door when Thor came back in. The God of Thunder had a very solemn expression causing Captain America to pause. Thor didn't say anything and Loki was visible outside. He stood at the base of the steps leading to the house. Obviously, he didn't want to hear the explanation of events to Nick Fury.

"Wait a moment." Fury said, stopping Black Widow "Thor, what exactly are these 'ice giants' you're talking about."

"They come from the realm Jotumheim." Thor said, walking forward, face grave as he explained thoughtfully "They are monsters that once sought to claim Earth as their own. Asgard was the only thing that stood in their way. They have been confined to their realm for centuries, but the Jotuns have found another way onto Earth that our watchman cannot see."

"Do they have the tesseract?" Fury asked, pointedly. This clearly showed his narrowed-minded thinking. There was definitely more than one way to travel between realms. Hawkeye looked at Thor.

"No, the tesseract is locked safely on Asgard. It was never in their possession." Thor replied.

"And." Fury looked at the ground, lips compressed "You don't suppose Loki has something to do with this? I mean, after all, his history is somewhat against him."

"Loki has been imprisoned and therefore has had no power over what is happening in the outside world." Thor replied.

"Are you sure?" Fury asked, leaning his eyes forward pointedly.

"Yes, our prisons inhibit all kinds of contact." Thor said "And our watchman will monitor Loki as closely as we watch him now."

"Yes, but Loki is as slippery as a fish and we can't exactly rely on someone light years away." Banner replied, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Heimdall can see everywhere. He knows Loki's tricks and will send aid if it becomes neccessary." Thor replied forcefully.  
"Speaking of necessary." Fury said dryly, looking at Banner "I think it would be best if you joined the fight only as a last resort."

* * *

Loki stood several yards away from the house now, hands clasped behind his back. It was very dark outside. He gazed up at the stars, eyes reflecting the small dots of light. The trees rustled quite loudly since there were so many of them.

The sky in this realm wasn't as pretty as the one on Asgard, but it was still beautiful. He had often spent many hours outside in solitude on his adopted realm. Frigga had loved to come and stand with him when stayed late into the night.

"Having a good evening are we?" Nick Fury's voice cut through the silence and Loki closed his eyes before looking up in annoyance. The man was walking towards him, a distance off. The Asgard soldiers were still stationed outside the house.

"I just wanted to say how grateful I am that you were willing to come to our aid." Fury said. His tone had no hint of sarcasm, but there was clearly a hidden meaning. Loki didn't jump to the bait.

"What is your plan while you're here?" Fury continued, stopping a few yards away. Loki's head turned to side slightly for a few seconds.

"We're at quite a disadvantage to these frost giants since none of us know even what to look for, let alone sense, besides you." he stared ahead at the God of Michief stoically.

Loki took in a deep breath and let it out with an almost inaudible sigh.

"Could you please...not?" he asked quietly without turning around.

Nick Fury waited a moment, eyebrows up, before pivoting on one foot and heading back towards the house. Loki glanced back once just to make sure he was gone. Neither of the Asgardian soldiers had moved.

Then, once the silence had resumed for a few minutes, he heard someone else approaching. Loki looked back, hands unclasping as he turned.

Thor was slowing to a halt. After a few seconds of silence, the God of Thunder spoke.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Loki turned to face him fully, his expression quiet "It's been a while since I've seen the night sky, Thor. I'd appreciate it if you could tell your friends to leave me be."

"You can't expect them to trust you right off after everything that happened." Thor said, waving his hammer slightly.

"I don't expect anything." Loki shot back with a hint of sharpness "I would appreciate it if your friends would leave me alone."

"Nick Fury told me you needed some company." Thor replied.

"I wouldn't heed any advice given to you by him." Loki said.

"Loki, come back inside." Thor didn't command, but his voice definitely lacked the genuine note he had when they were children "We need to discuss what we're going to do tomorrow."

"Do we really?" Loki asked, hinting at the fact that his older brother simply wanted him inside to keep a closer eye on him.

"Yes. Fury has other ideas." Thor responded. An owl called through the woods as he looked at the Jotun in disguise. The outside air was colder to Thor yet Loki seemed unaffected. The God of Michief waited a moment before starting forward. Thor turned to walk alongside him. Neither of them spoke on the way back.

The steps creaked as they walked up them and into the house. Loki stopped at the entrance, but Thor went to join the rest of them.

"So, I think the best thing to do would be to keep this as quiet as possible." Fury was saying, fingers pressed together as his elbows rested on his knees "The last thing we need is a mass panic that the Avengers have gathered together to fight off an army of ice giants. As you can imagine, after New York, people aren't taking kindly to that sort of thing."

"For the record." Tony said "I made all of these same decisions without you. Imagine that."

"Did you get to the part of being able to examine larger areas of land at a time?" Fury asked.

"Yes. I'm going to send out _my_ suits. You see, _I'm_ funding this. You didn't come until later."

"Are you telling me I'd be better off back in my own bed?" Fury asked.

"It might be more comfortable." Black Widow said. He looked at her. She shrugged.

"I'm not agreeing with him, I'm just stating a fact."

"Well, if you want to do that, Stark, I suggest you send them out with orders to stay put once they find something. They can keep watch for us until the ice giants, or whatever, come back again." Fury said. Tony rolled his eyes slightly as Fury ordered him to do what he had already been planning to do.

"That won't work." a voice said.

The others all turned their heads to Loki. Thor turned fully to face him, hammer hanging from his hand.

"Excuse me?" Fury asked, although his voice wasn't hostile "Why not?"

"Because any pathway they come through may not open again." Loki said.

"Are you saying they don't want to attack?" Captain America asked, taking a few slow thoughtful steps towards him "Because if not, we don't need you here to find the portal."

Loki looked at him, head tilted forward slightly, face turning hard.

"What makes you think the portal is always in the same place?"

The others looked at each other in silence before all eyes landed back on Loki. Thor watched his brother warily.

Captain America scowled "Do you know something we don't?"

"Yes, many things." Loki responded "Isn't that why you brought me here?"

Captain America switched the hand his shield was in and Black Widow's hand slipped slyly behind her. Neither of which escaped Loki's attention.

"You're not exactly inspiring any confidence." Captain America informed him "Why are you here, Loki?"

"Not for the reason you desperately want it to be." Loki responded simply.

"Loki, enough." Thor said. Loki leaned back slightly, eyes still on Captain America with his eyebrows up.

"We should know why he's really here." Captain America said.

"I'm here because Thor asked me to come." Loki said, answering as simply as possible. He was clearly bristling though.

"I don't remember you and Thor having that great of a relationship." Hawkeye said.

"No, why else are you here?" Captain America repeated more vehemently.

Loki stared at them, death in his eyes.

"I'm here because Thor asked me to be. Nothing more. Nothing less. I came of my own free will and I can leave of my own free will. You may find these pathways by yourself." He whipped around and Captain America blinked in surprise.

"Loki." Thor said sharply as he walked out of the door. He looked over at Captain America angrily.

"Why do you provoke him?" he snapped, striding quickly after his brother. He stomped down the steps.

"Well, this could be a problem." Fury said, looking down at the ground "Because if he really is on our side then we just lost a valuable ally."

* * *

"Loki." Thor growled, following him across the grass angrily " _Loki."_

Loki ignored him as he stopped and looked up into the night sky "Heimdall, open the bifrost!"

"Heimdall, don't!" Thor ordered, stepping heavily "Loki. Loki, _STOP_!" He hit his hammer on the ground sending a shot of lightning across the ground, not the mention the ear shattering crash that accompanied it.

Loki looked around quickly, and as much as he hated to show it, his eyes were wary for a moment.

"You're not going to leave, Loki." Thor said, walking the rest of the way until he stood two feet from his brother.

"Why not?" Loki asked, leaning forward dangerously. His usual smirk was nowhere to be seen "They obviously don't have use of me here."

"They don't know what they're up against." Thor said "We need you here."

"You're right." Loki replied "They don't know what they're up against."

"You would rather return to your cell on Asgard?" Thor asked furiously, waving an arm.

"I have no reason to stay and listen to them. I came here to offer assistance, but they clearly have. No. Need of it." Loki hissed.

"They do need it." Thor growled "They have no idea what's waiting if they don't accept it. You have to stay here."

Several of the others walked out of the house and onto the porch. Loki let out a bitter breath and turned away from them. Captain America started down the steps when Thor held out a warning hand to them.

"You might want to let Thor deal with this one, Cap." Fury said from inside the house. He didn't even bother to walk outside. In fact, he was still seated. Thor looked back at his brother.

"Loki, listen to me. We will not be able to find it on our own. Please do not leave. If the portal does not remain in the same place then it is even more critical that you are here." he said forcefully "We need to discuss how to proceed from here."

"I don't need too." Loki replied, his voice quiet.

"You have to stay here. Father let you out of your cell, don't return to it before you have completed what you came here for." Thor admonished. Loki had given him a glare when he said the word 'father', but his eyes were already back to the tree-filled scenery in front of him.

Thor waited silently for a response behind his younger brother for several seconds, but Loki didn't look back.

 **I hope Captain America regrets his words. Also, personally, I am** ** _not_** **a Nick Fury fan, but I felt he needed to make some appearance into this story. :)**

 **Please review!**


	9. Quiet Sympathy

An Ironman suit shot across the sky, jet flame leaving a short trail behind it. It held out a hand and scanned the area below. After a moment, it rose back into the air and changed course.

There were about fifteen of them all doing the same thing this morning. Fury had left the previous evening and asked them to stay put until he sent word. Since Loki had informed them of the possibility of the portal changing its location, Tony had still decided to send out his machines to at least see if they could pinpoint how often the Jotuns were entering the realm. And it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of warning if suddenly the frost giants were racing towards an inhabitated city.

However, these suits had orders to relay their position every five minutes, just so they didn't have a repeat of their first encounter with a frost giant.

Meanwhile, as the machines did most of the hard work, Hawkeye's two boys were wrestling with toy swords in the house. Captain America stood in the kitchen, dressed in a brown jacket and jeans. After Thor had convinced Loki to stay, words had not passed between the Captain and the God of Michief. Loki had kept to himself more than before. However, he never went out of the sight of Thor or the Asgard soldiers. Currently, he was sitting in the living room reading a book he seemed to have gotten from nowhere. The two boys ran back and forth in the living room, shouting occasionally. It didn't seem to disturb Loki in the slightest.

Black Widow walked down the steps, a dark blue shirt creasing her figure. She had her arms folded as she sauntered over to Captain America.

"You really know how to tone down to casual." she commented.

"It keeps us focused on the job." Captain America said simply.

"Oh, it definitely keeps you focused on the job." Black Widow said with a small trill in her throat. Captain America looked at the ground and shook his head slightly.

Thor and Loki had returned from speaking to Heimdall not many minutes before. Hawkeye still meant to have words with them about the amount of times they were using the Bifrost on his grass, but he never seemed to get around to it.

"You'd think those Asgard people would get tired standing out there all day." Black Widow said, nodding towards the windows while putting a grape into her mouth.

"Well, I hope they're taking turns." Captain America said.

Banner walked into the kitchen, looking around the house "Does anyone else find this house to be a lot bigger on the outside?"

"Uh oh, I don't think we called for a code greeb." Black Widow said, rolling on her elbows to get off the table and looking at him.

"No, I just feel like this house gets a little tighter with this many people in it." Banner said, waving an arm to accentuate his words. He looked behind him at Loki for a moment. The two boys ran through the house with a few yells of triumph, waving their swords wildly. "By the way, where does Thor keep disappearing too? I saw him outside just a second ago, but now he's gone again."

Then Thor walked into view outside the window and into the house.

"God, those guys are good." Banner said.

"They are gods." Black Widow agreed sarcastically.

* * *

Loki flipped the page of his book, studying the next page with the same amount of thoughtfulness. Thor stood not ten feet away, arms folded as he watched the older and younger brother play. Loki seemed to be too ingrained in his book to notice.

Then they both glanced out the window momentarily as one of the Ironman suits flew towards them. It spun once in the air before landing hard with a clank. Both of Hawkeye's boys stopped fighting to look outside. The suit stood up and started walking over to the house. The helmet retracted and Tony held out his arms to the kids as he got up the steps.

"It's okay, it's me, not an alien." he said.

"What happened?" Thor asked as he approached.

"Umm...nothing." Tony replied sounding much to relaxed for the situation.

"Nothing at all. Nothing new. Though, I'm not the only one up there." He walked over to the others and looked at Captain America "Way to dress up. I like it."

"Is what I'm wearing seriously our biggest concern?" Captain America asked, holding his arms in exasperation.

"We're trying to bring you into our age." Black Widow said. Captain America gave her a look.

Plastic swords clashed together as the two boys started to get more intense. The four of them by the kitchen seemed to be able to block them out with the exception of a few glances.

The younger boy chased the other outside, sword raised above his head. Thor moved back for them to pass more easily. It was only moments that there was a complained yell from outside and a few more before the older brother, Cooper, came on with both swords in his hands.

"You can't play with them." he was telling his younger brother "You're not as good as me so you can't fight."

"I can to fight. That's my sword." Nathaniel said, angrily.

"No it's not." Cooper told him "Dad got me both these swords for my birthday. That's why I'm his favorite because I get to be like him when I'm older. You're just my stupid little brother and you're always copying me. I don't like it when you play with my toys."

"You're not Dad's favorite, I am." Nathaniel argued, stomping one foot. Loki looked up from his book at the conflict.

"Dad hugged me first when he got home." Cooper bragged. He turned around with the swords.

"That's not fair." Nathaniel protested, stomping after his brother and grabbing the end of his sword. Cooper pulled it away.

"Go away, you're too little to play with. You always break everything. I'm telling Dad on you." he said, running up the stairs. Nathaniel turned around and ran back outside the house.

Thor looked after him for a second and then glanced down at Loki for a small moment. Loki was gazing after the older son, expression unreadable. After a moment, his eyes blinked back down to his book.

Tony returned his eyes to Captain America "Do you want to wear one of my suits?"

* * *

Once afternoon came, many of the people in the house had given up on waiting for Fury to give them the word.

Tony had offered to fly back to town and pick up a few fast food orders for them all, partly as a joke, and partly because he was serious. Banner had given his low opinion of restaurant food and Captain America told him how irresponsible that would be.

Now that his idea had been thoroughly bashed upon, Tony was checking on his robots that were prowling the area. He had a big see-through board he kept tapping on.

"Jarvis, let's get them spinning out a little farther from the house." he said.

"Yes, sir." The robotic voice replied.

Laura walked down the stairs, her hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"Oh, class, say 'hi, Laura.'" Tony said loudly to the others. She smiled slightly as he waved at her. She walked past the window and then paused as she spotted something. She stared silently for several seconds, mouth open a bit.

Loki was outside with her youngest son. He appeared to be showing him a movement with a blade. Nathaniel held a sword she had never seen before, although from the way he was holding it and waving it around, it couldn't have been heavier than foam. It had a gold hilt and a shiny silver blade.

Laura glanced behind her at the others for a second, almost as if worried, but her eyes softened back down when she saw the innocence of it. She'd come down to hopefully resolve the spat between her sons.

Thor looked over and saw her staring outside. He took a few steps over, wondering if Loki had left the porch. The guards were still outside. As he got closer, he realized what she was watching. Thor and Laura looked at each other for a brief second. He was unsmiling, but clearly thoughtful as he looked out upon the scene.

* * *

Hawkeye's younger son swished the light sword through the air. It was longer than his brother's swords and had a much better grip on the handle.

"My brother's always telling me that I'm not good enough at fighting to fight him." he said.

"Well, now you have your own sword." Loki replied, his voice mild.

"And it's _way_ better than his!" Nathaniel boasted.

"Your sword is much better. You can fight with me instead." Loki told him.

Nathaniel looked downcast all the sudden, a foot scuffing the ground as he waved his sword. "He's always saying that he's Dad's favorite because he's older and can do more things."

"You're just as good as your brother." Loki said gently "Imagine how surprised he'll be when you show him new fighting techniques."

The boy glanced at him as if not sure what the word meant, but he nodded in excitement.

"Now, hold your weapon here." Loki said, demonstrating to keep it at waist level, blade pointed outward.

* * *

Hawkeye watched through the window, head tilted to see past the columns on the porch. His eyes lowered to look at the sill. Then he turned around, walking over to the others. Although he still appeared very reserved talking to the little boy, Loki had opened up to him more than anybody else. Nathaniel had cheered up very quickly, seeming to forget about the spat with his brother.

"Any word from Fury?" Hawkeye asked. The group of talented people in the kitchen seemed to have lost their vivaciousness now that they had decided it would be best to wait for Director Fury to return.

Laura walked down the stairs, one hand sliding on the rail.

"Nothing yet." Captain America said, looking up from where he was absentmindedly flipping a cup over and over.

Thor had one hand on his mouth. He'd been quieter since he'd noticed Loki out there with Nathaniel, but as Laura passed him, he spoke.

"Do your sons share a close bond?" he asked.

Laura turned to face him, almost as if surprised by the question.

"Yes, they like to play with each other more than anything when it comes down to it." she said "But." she leaned forward as if she was going to share a funny secret "Whenever their father comes home, they tend to fight more. They're in this rut of trying to decide who he likes best. Of the two of them, Nathaniel is generally the kinder one about it, but they could go at it for hours."

Thor waited a moment, thinking.

"Loki and I used to do the same thing." he said. Then he smiled slightly and tossed his hammer "I always won."

Laura chuckled and leaned even closer "Older sibling syndrome." with that she continued one into the kitchen.

Thor's smile faded as he looked back out at Loki and Nathaniel.

"Look." Tony caught into his thoughts "If we're going to literally be Fury's Avengers, then I suggest we at least need to all be gone when he gets here." He waved a hand dismissively "Make him think we got bored."

"You really think Fury's that dumb?" Black Widow asked, peering up at him from the side.

"No." Tony said "I know he is. But even if he doesn't fall for it, that would be a great conversation starter."

Cooper and Lila came loudly down the stairs. Cooper no longer carried his swords, but the front door was open so he could see right outside.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. He pushed past Lila, who shot a scowl after him. Thor took a few steps toward the front door.  
The boy ran outside, eyes wide as he approached them.

"That sword is sooo cool." he said, stopping a few feet away. When he went to walk toward his younger brother, however, Loki stepped in front of him.

"I believe you told your brother he was too young to play with. He has his sword and you have yours." he said.

Nathaniel peered from behind Loki at his older brother. Cooper was looking up at the God of Michief with a stunned expression.

"Perhaps you should apologize. And see if he would be willing to play with you now." Loki said.

Cooper glanced at his feet for a few seconds without saying anything "I'm sorry Nathaniel. I was just mad. I didn't mean it. I really like to play with you."

Loki stared at him stoically and then glanced down at the younger son.

"It's okay." Nathaniel replied, sounding excited.

"Can I fight with you guys?"

Loki watched him for a second before holding out his hands together. He pulled them apart vertically, an identical sword appearing out of thin air.

Both of the boys stared at him in amazement, mouths open. Loki took the blade and held the hilt out to the older brother. Cooper took it with awe-struck eyes.

"How did you do that?"

"That's my secret." Loki replied with a hint of a smile.

* * *

Laura watched out the window with a smile now that both of her boys were playing together. Lila was in the kitchen coloring while talking to Black Widow. Captain America kept leaning back to check outside, looking at Loki occasionally. The God was reading from his book again, not very far away from the children. He let it rest in his hands as he looked down. The book was very worn as if it had been read numerous times. Sometimes Loki pulled out a folded piece of parchment tucked inside and opened it.

"What does he keep reading?" Captain America asked. Thor glanced at him.

"I don't know, I got a peek at it. I couldn't read it." Hawkeye said.

"Loki always had a love for reading." Thor said.

"I need to introduce him to technology." Tony said, typing something on his transparent board.

"I think already he's far more advanced than technology." Banner replied, looking over his glasses.

 **Also, I have no idea how old Cooper or Lila are. So I made them how old I wanted them to be.**  
 **Please review! The more reviews I have, the faster I want to update! Your reviews are very appreciated!**


	10. Loyal Ally

**Just to be clear, at the beginning of this story, Thor wouldn't have been as sympathetic with his brother, after all he'd done on Earth. I wanted to see if I could make Thor realize he still cares for Loki.** **Please review! :)))))) Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews on the earlier chapter!**

Lila had decided that she wanted her mom to help her make pancakes. It had been a very insistent request. She had put on an apron that was way too big for her and approached her mother with a bowl and whisk. Hawkeye had smiled which only encouraged his daughter even more.

Consequently, Laura was in the kitchen now, making pancakes. Lila was bringing plates to each of them, starting with her father. Once she got to Thor, she had very quickly realized he had a bigger appetite than the others and seemed to like pancakes more than anything.

Although the group could very easily sit and enjoy each other's company, there were two things impeding them. First was the fact that they had an impending problem of invasion. The second was that an old enemy was there. Even though Loki hadn't caused them any grief, his presence was off-putting for them. Especially his quiet and subdued demeanor. Everyone except the children was affected, although Laura and Thor seemed to be least of all.

Thor had known his brother when he was quieter. Although Loki had always been one for michief, he had preferred reading to most things. And unlike Thor, he ate very little if anything at all. Lila had taken a plate to him outside on the porch, where he preferred to stay, and he had accepted them, but hadn't touched them since.

They had heard nothing from Fury, but the others had come to a mutual agreement that they would keep on the lookout with Tony's machines. Thor was also relying greatly on Loki to warn them if anything should appear suspicious. The rest of the team had no such confidence.

Both Nathaniel and Cooper had taken their sword inside their rooms the previous evening and then Nathaniel had brought it to show his father this morning. Captain America and Tony had also leaned in for a look.

"It's the best!" Nathaniel boasted "It's long enough so that I can reach taller people."

He dramatically began waving the sword through the air.

"Well. Looks like we have our first new Avenger." Tony said, waving a hand in his direction "Swords. That's a new one."

"Innocence is the best weapon. Sometimes it would be nice if none of us knew what was actually happening." Banner said.

"Really?" Tony asked "I'd rather face the problem..." he slowly extended a hand as if aiming where to shoot "Head on."

"We aren't even doing that." Black Widow said, voice flat and she looked at Tony with a sudden smile. Nathaniel stopped swinging his weapon as they spoke. Apparently, he found it uninteresting and turned around to leave the room.

"I know we aren't. And it's actually starting to get on my... nerves." Tony replied "What if a bunch of them are already here? I mean, even if Loki is telling us everything that is happening, he can't know what's happening halfway across the world."

"I don't even really understand what he's doing in the first place." Banner said, looking between a few of them.

"He's found entrances out of Asgard that were not known to any of our people. He knows how to uncover them." Thor replied, his voice very low compared to the rest of them.

"Then let's ask him what to do next." Tony said, walking towards Captain America and Thor, looking at them as it expecting an objection.

"He's not here to give the orders." Captain America said.

Tony rolled his eyes "Does it just have to come out of my mouth for you to hate it?"

"You generally come up with more irrational ideas." Captain America corrected.

"Here." Tony grabbed Banner and pulled him to the side slightly "You say it."

Banner looked at him for a moment before back at Captain America "Uhhh...well, we don't have to ask for his next move, but it might not hurt to see what he knows."  
Tony raised his eyebrows as he waited for a response.

"That's not what you suggested." Captain America said.

"That is exactly what I said. Just in more words." Tony replied, off-handedly.

"Take care how you speak to Loki." Thor warned "No matter his previous actions, we will not be able to know when the Jotuns enter this realm without him."

"In less words, Rogers, you already pissed him off so someone else needs to do it." Tony said, looking at Captain America plainitively.

"I believe he is only here for the reason I asked him. It took persuasion to get him to come in the first place." Thor said, gesturing with his hand faced down.

"No offense, but isn't he supposed to be good at deceiving?" Black Widow asked, looking at Thor.

"The more you treat him like he is going to betray us, the more likely it becomes." Thor said "He knows he is unwelcome here."

"So we don't need to make it worse, is that what you're saying?" Banner asked, sounding casual without the spite.

"Let's see what he knows first." Captain America said with a hint of finality.

Thor turned around to walk over to the door. He spoke and Loki glanced up from the parchment he was reading. Then he softly folded it and walked over to join his older brother as they walked into the house.

"You said something about how the passageways change places." Captain America said, starting off the conversation coolly, but getting right to the point "How are we supposed to pinpoint where it is if it's not in the same place?"

Loki's eyes flicked to Thor briefly. He didn't speak for a moment, almost as if he wondered if this was a provocation.

"There are passageways between realms and portals that open between realms. Passageways remain the same. Portals can only be opened by certain situations. The ice shows that the frost giant's entrance opened and closed. Therefore they have a portal, not a passageway."

"What is the situation that's granting them access then?" Banner asked, mostly as a general question. He asked it as if wondering if it was a valid inquiry.

"They have found a way to open portals. But the fact that they have not already overtaken this realm points that they can only open it for a limited time." Loki said, expression impassive "Something is allowing them entry here." He raised his chin a bit "Where is my scepter?"

The question took everyone by surprise and for a moment they all looked at each other.

"Why?" Hawkeye asked, looking at him with suspicion.

"I'm not asking you to give it to me, I'm asking where it is." Loki responded, his quiet voice remaining steady as he looked at them.

"So you can find it and use it?" Captain America asked bluntly. Thor was just as wary as the rest of them so he didn't jump to prevent another argument.

"I'm saying." Loki said, pausing "That it might be the source of your problem."

Nathaniel came back into the room from the kitchen and his eyes brightened slightly as he saw Loki.

"What do you mean?" Captain America asked, looking at him intently.

"Many...beings...would be interested in getting it. It may have pushed them to find ways to come here. Now, whether Jotunheim knows about this, I don't know. They may just be taking advantage of the open portals."

Nathaniel grabbed onto Loki's hand and the God jerked it away, glancing down at the child for a second. Laura beckoned her kid away from the group, but he ducked back behind and sprinted away michieviously.

"It's under SHIELD's protection." Hawkeye said finally "None of us could get to it if we wanted too."

Loki gave a slow, almost imperceptible, nod and turned around. Thor didn't stop him as he silently returned to his place outside.

"Well that might add another layer of complication." Black Widow said.

"Yes, but at least it is a possible explanation for the disturbance between the realms." Thor replied.

* * *

Loki fingered the piece of crinkled parchment in his hands, looking down as he thought. It had been folded so many times that there were dark lines in the shape of a cross on it. Nathaniel came out of the house, his new sword in hand. Cooper followed him momentarily. The God of Mischief didn't look at them until Nathaniel spoke to him.

"Loki?" he asked with a little bit of tentativeness "Will you come and fight with us again?"

They waited a moment hopefully before Loki let out a deep breath. He set down his book and paper on one of the ledges on the column. The two boys smiled in triumph and ran down the stairs. Loki walked down after them.

"Can we get more of these swords?" Cooper asked.

"I think one is plenty." Loki replied.

"You should show is how to stab someone with them." Nathaniel said eagerly.

"I already know how to stab someone." Cooper protested.

"It's harder when you're actually fighting them." Loki replied, with the faintest hint of amusement. Cooper shrugged.

* * *

Hawkeye walked out onto the porch a few minutes later, arms folded. He watched as Nathaniel took a massive swing at Loki, but the man avoided it smoothly. Cooper had laughed once before and been rebuked by the God so now he kept his mouth shut. Cooper couldn't hit him either.

Hawkeye turned slightly back towards the door, but the things sitting on the pillar caught his eye. He glanced back up at Loki before lifting up the piece of paper slightly. All he caught before Loki looked over was the word _Frigga_ on the bottom of the paper. The book sitting under it was different than the one he had been reading earlier. This one had a title Hawkeye could read.

 _Gateways Amid Realms_

Laura peeked at him on the porch after a second.

"Is this you being jealous?" she asked, nodding out at the three of them in the field.

"No...uhh..." Hawkeye chuckled slightly "I'm wondering actually where those swords came from."

Laura shrugged "Loki, somehow. It got the two of them to stop fighting. They like you a little too much. Maybe if you would come home more often they wouldn't need to be your favorite all the time."

"Imagine if they found out Lila was my favorite." Hawkeye said before giving his wife a smile. She chuckled as she turned back around to walk inside.

Cooper and Nathaniel were both standing next to each other, seemingly having a private word. Loki stood silently, watching both of them. Then they broke apart and suddenly both ran at him the same time. The two boys went right through him and both stumbled and fell to the ground behind him.

Hawkeye blinked and took a few steps forward as if not sure what he saw. Loki was walking up behind them, hands clasped together. Cooper and Nathaniel looked up at him, dirt smudged on their shirts. They gaped in shock at him and immediately Nathaniel started protesting. Loki held out his arms slightly, saying something in return. Cooper was old enough to realize that what had just happened wasn't normal. He was staring at the God with his mouth hanging.

* * *

Hawkeye stepped back into the house a few minutes after his wife. Lila was picking up plates and taking them to the sink. She was humming something under her breath as she walked back and forth.

"So, we've got a new area of ice." Tony said, staring down at the screen below him. He tapped a few times on it before glancing up at Hawkeye. The others had already heard the news apparently, because none of them reacted.

"So, we missed them?" Hawkeye asked, tossing a toy from the ground to the couch. His hands went to his hips.

"Well, I feel like they must have been pretty quick." Tony said "I've got patrols stationed out there that would've spotted them." He glanced back at the screen, pursing his lips "Area was smaller though."

"Thor, is negotiation a possibility?" Captain America asked, looking at the God of Thunder.

Thor thought for a moment before he spoke.

"Asgard is not at peace with them. They currently do not have a sitting king. They take advice from those higher in rank. If they have found a way onto Earth, they will not be willing to talk."

"No offense." Black Widow said, once again "But what is Asgard doing about this?"

"Thor's here." Tony said, without looking over.

"My father allowed Loki to come." Thor replied "And there are soldiers at the ready should an attack happen."

"Well can't they just go to Jotunheim and take care of it first?" Banner asked, waving his glasses as he moved his arm "I mean, not to say anything against you, but I kind of feel we're at a disadvantage here. They can get to us, but we can't get to them."

"Just so you're aware, no matter how many times you tell him not to be offended, you are in fact inferring that his people aren't doing anything." Tony said, turning to him with a smirk.

"No." Banner said a little defensively "I was just asking clarifying questions."

"We don't interfere unless it's necessary." Thor replied "Earth is no longer a defenseless realm."

"Hopefully after this it won't be either." Hawkeye said with grim amusement. Black Widow joined him in smiling.

"And a Loki appears to be studying more on how to find portals between realms." Hawkeye added "At least that's what I saw."

"There's a book on that?" Banner asked, looking at the others "Why don't we have that?"

"What Loki can do cannot be learned through a book." Thor replied "But there are many that can give knowledge on things like this.

"All those books look to be like a thousand years old." Hawkeye said jokingly.

"Probably more." Thor replied, not noticing that he was laughing. Hawkeye stopped and glanced at him with his eyebrows up.

"Did you read anything in the book?" Captain America asked.

"No. I think that other paper is a letter though. I didn't read It, but it was signed with the name Frigga. At least I think that's a name." Hawkeye said.

Thor looked at him, face solemn, and then his eyes fell to the ground.

* * *

"I can never hit you." Cooper said in frustration as he looked at Loki "You just keep disappearing."

Loki looked at him slyly as Nathaniel spoke.

"How do you always know when we're coming?"

He was referring to the numerous attempts made by the children to sneak up and attack him in which Loki had avoided them each time.

"Keep trying." Loki invited "You never know when you'll succeed."

Cooper scowled "You're just saying that so you can trick us again."

"I want to learn how to block someone." Nathaniel interrupted. He stared up at the two of them.

"Fight each other." Loki said, taking a step back "See what you've learned."

Nathaniel looked a little disappointed, but his older brother turned to him eagerly. Since he was smaller and the sword was almost as long as he was tall, Nathaniel held it with both hands. Cooper on the other hand, could handle it with one. They began to smack each other's weapons. As children, they focused more on how well they could hit the other person's sword, not the opponent themselves. As much as they wanted to learn, they were more focused on their movements looking impressive.  
Loki looked back at the house for a moment. He watched the boys practice silently, eyes unfocused as he thought. And although Captain America thought he was being unobtrusive, Loki was aware that he was approaching. The soldier stopped a little ways off from the three of them. Nathaniel wasn't fooled either.

"Can I use your shield?" he asked, backing off from the fight with Cooper to look at him in awe.

"You seem to be doing pretty well with your sword." Captain America replied "Besides, you need two hands for that."

Nathaniel seemed satisfied apparently as he stepped back forward to fight with Cooper.

Loki didn't turn towards the man walking to them.

A sword had yet to be knocked out of either boy's hand, but they were now practicing holding each other off. They both pushed against the other brother's blade, grunting in the process. Ultimately, Cooper overpowered his younger brother and his sword flew a few feet away. His mouth flew open and he stared as if surprised at himself.

"Did you see that?" he demanded from Loki.

"I did. You-" Suddenly the God of Michief looked abruptly in the distance, breaking off his sentence.

Captain America looked there and then back at him, eyes alarmed.

"What? What is it?"

"You two." Loki said, speaking to Nathaniel and Cooper without looking at them "Get inside now." he turned his head towards the house slightly "Thor!" Then he walked closer to the boys and ushered them both closer to the house.

"What is going on?" Captain America demanded.

"Why are we going inside?" Nathaniel asked as Thor came out of the house. The others followed him one at a time.

"Loki, what's wrong?" Thor asked, coming up to him quickly.

"They're coming here." Loki responded.

"Here?" Thor asked, looking at the field in front of them.

"Right here." Loki said, seeming to watch something they couldn't see "There's a portal opening."

"How do they know to come here?" Thor asked, looking at his brother.

"I don't know." Loki responded, without looking back. His eyes flicked back and forth.

Captain America walked to stand next them. Laura was be beckoning both of her boys and Hawkeye took both their arms and pulled them up the steps where he handed them off to before turning back to the others.

"There's nothing happening." Captain America said. They were all scanning the area, getting more doubtful by the second.

"Wait." Loki replied shortly.

Thor's hammer shifted in his hand, eyes flicking back and forth.

"I don't know how mortals will fare against frost giants." he said lowly.

"Well, I think we can manage just fine." Hawkeye responded. He had one arrow pulled back, aiming for the empty field. He stood directly in front of his house "Besides, I'm planning on helping from a distance."

"Good. Natasha?" Captain America looked at her "You do the same."

She tilted her head "I hope you're kidding."

"The Jotun's touch burns Asgardians. Mortals may not be as fortunate." Thor said.

"So hitting is out." Tony told her.

"Unless it's you." Black Widow muttered.

The air flickered about onr hundred yards in front of them as if an invisible wall was being hit from behind. Two massive blue beings came forward. They had dark red eyes and their skin was anything but smooth. They stared at the group in front of them as they walked forward.

"Two? I think we can handle that." Tony said, frowning with interest. As he spoke, several more started entering through the portal.

"Oh shit." he said.

"Laura, keep the kids inside." Hawkeye said, staring at them grimly.

Thor and Loki started walking forward. The lead frost giants didn't stop until they were about twenty feet from each other.

"Asgardians, depart." the taller one growled, baring his teeth "This is not your fight to interfere with."

"How did you come to this realm?" Thor asked forcefully, hammer raised.

"It seems you have more enemies than you thought." The frost giant spoke again. He looked at Loki "You fight with a traitor to your house. Our king went to your realm and never returned."

"Then I suppose you were wrong." Loki replied, staring up at him "Your fight is with me."

The other Jotun growled angrily. Two long and very sharp knifes slid down into Loki's hands.

"Leave now!" Thor ordered "Or you will be forced back."

"I don't think so, son of Odin." the frost giant replied, ice growing off his right arm. At least a hundred other Jotuns were gathered behind them. Then, without warning, they charged, roaring a battle cry.

"Heimdall, now!" Thor yelled up at the sky. Loki brandished both daggers impatiently, watching the large monsters approach.

"Well, it's time to see how we fare." Tony said with a hint of sarcasm. He took a step back and pressed a button on his watch. Immediately a suit flew out from a case below the porch. It encased Tony and suddenly a fully fledged Iron man was standing there.

Thor and Loki ran forward towards the onslaught of frost giants as he took off into the air.

"They weren't kidding about the giant part." Tony observed, eyes racing across the screen in front of him.

Thor threw his hammer and it smashed into several frost giants as it flew through the air. Black Widow had backed up to where Hawkeye was, pistol pointed up as she watched the scene.

The ground beneath the Jotuns was covered in ice and getting taller every moment. It grew off their arms as weapons once they got close enough to strike someone. Captain America slammed his shield into one of them, shoving it backwards. Hawkeye shot an arrow and immediately drew another one. Banner waited on the porch, heeding Nick Fury's voice about waiting until the necessary moment.

Only three of the Avengers were fighting. Fortunately, Loki could hold his own and more. Him and Thor were definitely the most experienced in fighting these monsters and it showed.

Ironman weaved between a few of them, the mechanic beep going off as he fired, palm facing forward.

Loki turned so quickly, Asagrdian knifes cutting easily through Jotun flesh. Each time they attacked, he dodged, kicking opponents away. Several times, a frost giant would leap at him, only to find themselves hitting empty air. Hawkeye and Black Widow watched him disappear over and over again, the illusions very misguiding for the attackers.

Thor knocked the frost giants to and fro, hammer singing as it was swung. The portal still hadn't closed so more of them had joined the others.

"Barton, we've got a few of them coming close to the house." Ironman warned him, his scanner flicking all over his screen.

"Yep, see em." Hawkeye said, pulling back an arrow and letting it fly. It struck one and the blue monster collapsed backwards, arrow protruding from its chest. Black Widow fired a few more shots at the oncoming frost giants.

One of Loki's daggers, which seemed to reappear in his hand as quickly as Thor's hammer, hit another. He also used shorter serrated blades from time to time for longer distances.

Banner was watching on the porch, leaning every few seconds to see a particular fight. Captain America flung his shield and it hit one and then a second frost giant before returning to him. Thor swung his hammer like a sword, making it look light as a feather. Loki and him were about two feet apart as they fought.

There was a sudden commotion inside the house and Banner looked back. The door swung open and Nathaniel came running out. Laura was calling his name repeatedly, getting more intense each time.

Banner tried to stop him, but ended up going down the steps after him. As he passed, Hawkeye's eyes shot open and he lowered his bow.

"Nathaniel!" he said sharply, throwing his arrow back into the quiver. He ran after the kid, who was protesting.

"I can fight! I can fight!" he said.

Loki and Captain America looked over as got closer. Distracted for a moment, Captain America narrowly held up his shield in time to block a fierce hit from a frost giant. Loki held out his hand and the sword disappeared from Nathaniel's hand. The little boy stared down in shock, leaving Hawkeye enough time to grab him.

Unfortunately, with the distraction, several of the Jotuns had made their way towards the house. They separated to go on both sides. Loki spread his hands quickly and the area surrounding the house was suddenly clouded in smoke. This had aided Thor and him before. Hawkeye kept running with Nathaniel held in both arms.

Loki shot a brief glance at Captain America before running after the frost giants on the left side of the house. The rest of the battle wasn't much farther away now that the Avengers had been driven back.

Hawkeye handed Nathaniel off to Black Widow and quickly loaded an arrow back onto his bow. He shot one at the monsters closest to the house, eyes more concerned than they had been a few minutes earlier. It was clear that they were being overwhelmed at the moment.

Unfortunately, not all of the monsters decided to surround the house. Several of them ran straight towards the porch. Hawkeye was looking over at the ones on the right and didn't turned until they were too close. He shot an arrow that went through the first one but the second one grabbed him on the arm. Hawkeye yelled out in pain as steam arose from where the monster held him. The giant was suddenly thrown backwards, having been hit by a well aimed blade. Loki stared over intensely, still leaned forward slightly from throwing it. Hawkeye fell down, his arm a horrible dark blue where it had been touched.

"Barton needs help." Loki called, looking over at Thor.

"Then help him." Thor half-snapped in strain from the battle. Loki hesitated a moment, eyes hard, before he started his way over to Hawkeye. Luckily, Black Widow came down the steps swiftly to him. Banner followed her down to help her carry him up. Loki fended off another frost giant, catching its iced arm between his two knifes. With strength surprising for his size, he turned the arm away from him and quickly spun away.

There was a bright flash of light and suddenly, four other Asgardians were standing in the middle of the field. With a loud yell, the largest of them all leapt into battle, apparently informed of their job.

"We've got help." Ironman said over the intercom, landing and going into hand to hand combat with a frost giant. It caught his arm in a grip bending the armor slightly. Ironman opened his palm to shoot him with his other hand, sending the giant flying.

"Fandral, help Loki by the house! We need to keep them away from there." Thor said, his voice tense as he thrust his hammer forward.

The most slender man glanced at him.

"Right." he said, turning to run over to Loki.

The woman and other man joined Thor in the fight nearest to the portal. Sif had both hands on a double bladed sword while Hogun showcased a spiked sphere.  
Captain America watched them for the half second he had before he was once again engaged in combat. The sharp sound of ice crackling filled the battlefield as more frost giants created weapons of solid ice. There were no longer any coming from the portal. Nor were any leaving, leading to the idea that it had fully closed. The rest of the Jotuns were on Earth for good.

Fandral didn't greet Loki, but they worked well together to prevent the monsters from progressing. The God of Michief twisted between several of the oncoming frost giants, blades flashing and Fandral fought with a long thin sword. He seemed to be enjoying himself more than any of the others. All of the Asagrdians were very careful not to allow the invaders to touch them. Hawkeye had been taken inside and the others hadn't come back out.

Fortunately, with the added help of the warriors, the Jotuns numbers were declining fast. Volstagg took out several with his ax and Sif wasn't far behind. Seeing the others killed only seemed to enrage the other frost giants even more. They showed no thoughts of retreat.

Loki and Fandral went back to the main battle, having killed the rest by the house. Captain America fought nearby Hogun. Ironman now flew the perimeter, stopping any that got too far away.

Less than ten remained on the field now. Thor had a cut above his eye. Loki had blood smeared on his neck, although it could have been frost giant blood. Captain America wasn't in better shape, but he shoved a Jotun backwards and Thor threw his hammer to finish it off. Even though it had most likely saved them, the reinforcements had come too late. It had ended as quickly as it started.

They were all breathing heavily as Ironman landed in a run beside them.

"Hawkeye's hurt." Captain America said, looking at the others. He stared at the warriors for a second before turning to walk to the house. Thor glanced Loki, who was just as sweaty and tired as him before holding out his hand to summon his hammer back. The mortals on Earth were nowhere near what they were used to fighting with.

* * *

As they arrived in the house, they found Banner, Black Widow, and Laura all huddled over Hawkeye. They'd put him on the dining table. He was arching his back in pain, face clenched. Thor walked over with Tony and Captain America behind him.

"It's spreading. Quickly." Black Widow said, looking at Thor.

The mark that had originally only been on his lower arm, had indeed spread to his upper arm and shoulder. Laura looked horrified, although she was controlling it fairly well.

"A Jotun touched him?" Volstagg asked incredulously, looking at his friends.

Loki hung back, a little ways from the warriors, and peered at the scene quietly.

"How do we stop this?" Captain America asked, directing his question at the Asgardians.

"We've never had to heal a mortal." Thor said.

"Well, we need to do something." Tony replied, looking at him and back at the horrendous burn in exasperation "It's spreading too quickly."

"We could not get him to a healer fast enough." Sif said, although she didn't sound harsh.

It was now halfway over his neck. Hawkeye was still clearly in pain, groaning, but definitely growing weaker.

For some reason, Thor looked back at Loki. Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel had all come downstairs and were gazing over, eyes wide. Whether they knew what was going on was unclear.

Loki glanced at them before taking a few steps closer to the group surrounding Hawkeye. Captain America scowled at him as he approached quietly. The God of Mischief's eyes were low.

Laura was on her knees, eyes wide as she gently stroked her husband's hair. She looked at the others, desperate for a solution. Black Widow didn't look much better off.

Loki gave a very quick look at the group, expression impassive and surprisingly a little bit defiant. They were staring at him soberly and few looked a bit wary. He hesitated a moment before slowly placing his hand on Hawkeye's arm. His touch glowed green for a moment and then the blue that was in the mortal's skin crept onto Loki's. The color began to withdraw from Hawkeye's body and The God of Michief's face turned deep blue. Several distinctive marks appeared on his forehead. Laura leaned back instinctively, looking at him in shock. The other's eyes all widened slightly.

Then Loki's face and body began faded back to a normal color. All that remained on Hawkeye's arm was a dark red burn and he had obviously lapsed in unconsciousness.

Laura leaned over him, mouth open as she looked at him in stunned disbelief. His breathing was deep and steady now.

Loki turned away in silence and the others let him go without saying a word. Thor didn't look any less shocked than the rest of them.

 **Please review! I love reviews so much! Think of it this way. When you see an email about my story being updated, that's how I feel when I see a review. SO FREAKING EXCITED! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Weary Soul

Hawkeye had started coming around the evening of the battle, but he hadn't fully woken up until the next morning. Laura was next to him now, talking with him. The burn on his arm was a bad, second degree burn, but they'd given it some medical attention. Once he'd been able to sit up, his kids had swarmed him, the boys not trying to best each other for once.

Loki had been even more withdrawn after revealing more of himself than he preferred. Several of the Avengers seemed a little bit more wary, if not irritated, with him. Him and Thor had worked with Heimdall to transport the dead frost giants back to Jotunheim. The yard surrounding the house was horribly churned up. Not to mention the pile of ice and blood stained grass.

The warriors had made short work of introducing themselves, Sif and Hogun being the more serious of the bunch.

Volstagg and Fandral were quite enjoying themselves together. Tony got along very well.

"With your metal armor you're a very formidable opponent against the Jotuns." Volstagg said, twiddling his fingers at Tony "I've not found many mortals capable of such a feat."

"Have you...fought alongside many mortals?" Tony asked, hand moving questioningly "I'm not saying you're wrong, because most human beings wouldn't stand a chance." He paused for a small smirk.

"Not many." Fandral admitted, leaning back in his chair with one leg crossed above the other. He'd eyed Black Widow with apparent interest since he got there. She had given him returned flirtatiousness with ease, although for those who knew her, the sarcasm was clear.

For the first time that day, Loki came inside. He was following Thor back in, head held high, although he looked at no one.

"Loki." Hogun said with a slow nod at the former prince. Sif acknowledged him with the same gesture.

Loki's eyes flicked to them for a moment, but he continued to follow Thor without saying anything. Volstagg glanced at Fandral, who shrugged.

Hawkeye sat up and looked at the God of Mischief for a second. Clearly, Laura had informed him of the incident. Nathaniel was climbing on a kitchen chair to see his father, toes pointed eagerly.

"So I think we need to address the issue we're all are thinking about." Captain America said "If the Jotuns come back we need a better battle plan."

"Worked for me." Tony replied with a small shrug.

"We'll stay here until the problem is resolved." Sif told him evenly. Captain America glanced at her stoically.

"How did the Jotuns know exactly where to come?" he asked generally "Loki." he said, looking at the man steadily. The room seemed to tense as if they sensed Captain America was about to speak to what they had all seen. But the soldier didn't. "You mentioned the sceptor."

Loki returned the look, eyes prepared for an argument.

"My only theory is that whoever wants the sceptor is trying to dissipate any defenses on Earth. The Jotuns most likely saw a portal and enemies to fight, but had no power over where the portal opened." he said, tilting his head forward slightly, before looking away from the group.

"But who has the power to open portals?" Banner asked "That seems like a lot of...responsibility."

"Whoever they are, they can't be very good at it." Tony replied with a shrug "They can't keep it open for more than ten minutes."

"Well I'm sure it would be hard to create something to connect realms." Banner said, speaking only from common sense and not knowledge "At least I hope it is."  
"Unheard of, for the most part." Volstagg replied.

Even though the questions were asked broadly, they seemed to hope for an answer. Loki didn't offer one to them. Even though it has been blatantly obvious to the Asgardians that Loki was indeed a frost giant, some of the humans weren't quite sure. Either way, they'd been tiptoeing around the God of Mischief all day.

"Is the portal completely closed?" Tony asked casually. He looked behind him "I mean, we're not going to turn around and have a while bunch of them waiting outside are we?"

"It's closed." Loki said.

"It would have to be closed, otherwise the frost giants would still be coming in. They only know one thing: attack." Volstagg told them.

Thor purposely didn't look at Loki, but either way his younger brother's face remained neutral at the comment.

* * *

"It doesn't look too bad." Laura said, holding up her husband's arm to examine the burn.

"Well, it's healing a lot faster than I would expect." Hawkeye said, pulling the skin back slightly. For someone that had been in lethal danger just the evening before, he was certainly quite casual about the whole thing. He glanced towards where Loki had been a few moments previously "And I don't think that's because we treated it quickly."

"Whatever he is, I'm glad he was actually able to help you. No one else knew what to do." Laura said, leaning forward.

"What do you mean whatever he is? Immortal?" Hawkeye asked, almost with a laugh at his wife. His smiled faded when he saw that she was serious. They were interrupted by Volstagg's boistrous laugh. Him and Fandral were still in the same place.

"Hey...Fandral?" Hawkeye asked, head turned to side as he tried to remember the name. Fortunately, the pompous soldier turned to him, eyes expectant.

"Yes?"

"Uhh...so about Loki. Is he...?"

"Of Jotunheim?" Volstagg asked, answering for Fandral "Yes, he is. We didn't know about it until he left Asgard. Though he was always keeping secrets."

Captain America walked out of the kitchen, looking at the Asgardians. Tony looked on between them for a moment, waiting for someone else to speak.

"He did not know, Volstagg." Hogun told him. Volstagg shrugged as if he agreed with him.

"So...frost giants, right?" Laura asked. She hadn't been present for many of the conversations about the Jotuns, but the name had been used enough around her for her to know it "What are they exactly?"

"They're Asgard's main foe." Volstagg explained "We used to fight them a lot more, but they haven't been active in a while."

Fandral nodded "And they're bacically..." He paused as he thought.

"Monsters." Loki spoke by the stairs and they all glanced over at him. He took a few steps closer, book clasped in a hand by his side.

"They're a race of monsters." he said, eyes hard and as he looked at them "The worst of the worst. Beasts. Killing is something that comes completely natural to them." He paused for a moment "Now if you have any further questions about my origins, I ask that you would bring them to me."

Silently, he turned around to walk outside, opening his book on the way out.

Hawkeye pressed his lips together slightly, looking at Laura. The three Asgardians avoided each other's gazes for a moment.

* * *

Once Black Widow had informed Fury of the news, he had essentially told them to return to searching, although in much more words. And after a long discussion via Tony's large screen, they had persuaded Fury that sending any SHIELD agents to them wouldn't be of any help since Hawkeye had nearly been killed with a single touch.

Captain America and the others had a conference afterwards, excluding Loki and the other Asgardians. They were currently trying to decide how to go about tracking the portal. Out of everyone, Black Widow and Captain America were the most peeved.

"Something like that could happen in any major city." Black Widow said "Except we wouldn't be there because there would be no warning."

"Well I'll point out that we did do pretty well against the Chitari." Tony said.

"May I also point out that we had a warning." Black Widow replied "And besides, that portal could be closed. We don't even have an idea of where this could be at any given time."

"Well we're lucky they showed up here." Tony said. He paused "Which is also a coincidence, like we've said." he turned on his toe to look at Thor taking a deep breath. Now they could discuss it without Loki in the room.

"So really, how did they know right where to come?" He asked before shrugging "Actually, right where not to come. Unfortunate on their part."

"We don't know." Thor said "But Loki doesn't believe it was an accident."

"Doesn't he?" Tony asked, looking playfully surprised. He looked back at the others "That narrows him out of the equation."

"He warned us they were coming." Thor said "Without that, the results would not have been in our favor."

"And he did save Hawkeye." Banner said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other with his arms folded "But that could just be classic betrayal etiquette. You know, set up a threat, then save us from it to make himself seem more trustworthy."

"But he's not flaunting it." Tony said, pointing at him with a pen "I would be flaunting it."

"Really?" Banner asked, looking at the others "Well that's no surprise."

"I meant if I were him." Tony responded with a roll of his eyes.

"The more we treat Loki like he is a traitor, the higher the chance gets." Thor repeated this to them, lowering an arm definitively "Now, I agree we still need to keep watch like we have, but if we suspect him of each thing then we're never going to gain his full help. If we show faith we may be able to have him employ better methods."

"Or get played as fools." Captain America replied. He glanced over at Hawkeye, who had yet to speak "Barton? Do you have an opinion in any of this?"

Hawkeye took a deep breath "Well, I just don't think there was any reason for him to help me if he was already fighting to stop the frost giants." He put out his hands "I mean, he would already have helped save us from a threat, he didn't need to go further."

"There." Tony held out a hand to him "Common sense."

"That doesn't mean we should let our guard down." Hawkeye replied, looking at him "But personally right now, I'd rather have it been a different solution than simply banishing Loki from helping us."

"No one suggested that." Black Widow responded.

"I agree with Hawkeye." Captain America said, to everyone's surprise "Keep our guard up, but I don't suspect Loki of letting the frost giants in. Currently."

"I don't believe Loki had anything to do with it." Thor said, with the same steady low tone "He already mentioned that other beings want a path onto Earth. They are trying to remove defenses before they make a move."

There was silence for a moment before Tony spoke.

"Just so we're all aware, I am not flying back out into space to see who's behind this."

* * *

Thor walked out to the warriors and Sif. They were standing by the guards stationed on the porch, talking.

"Ahhhh...Thor." Volstagg greeted him merrily "Finished up with your secret meeting?"

"It was not secret." Thor responded with a small chuckle.

"Private then." Volstagg reiterated ""But either way, I wasn't really that offended. You work with quite the solemn bunch."

"They are solemn now, but they aren't always like that." Thor replied.

"That seems to be the same for him." Fandral said, gesturing over at Loki, who was standing farther out in the field "You're quite liberal with his bounds."

"Heimdall is keeping watch." Thor responded.

"Prison didn't treat him well." Hogun observed.

"Yes, I haven't seen him so down before. Granted, he was always the quieter one. Until it came to practical jokes." Fandral added.

Thor stared after Loki and let out a deep breath "That's not all that's troubling him."

With that, he set his hammer down and stepped down off the porch to start walking across the field.

They all stared after him silently. Only when he was out of earshot did they speak.

Sif shook her head "Thor pities him."

"No he doesn't." Volstagg said with a bit of abruptness "He loves him. Thor still cares for his younger brother."

"Do you not?" Hogan asked, turning his head to look at him.

Volstagg sighed "I try not too." He looked after the God of Thunder "And right now I'm debating on whether Loki actually loves Thor."

"We shouldn't care for a traitor." Sif replied.

"Sif." Fandral said "Loki was our friend too. He saved our lives many times and we saved his. Surely you haven't forgotten that."

"He betrayed Asgard." Sif replied, with a bit of annoyance "And tried to kill us!"

The group was silent for a second as they remembered the horrible fight between them and the Destroyer.

"Loki always felt less than Thor." Hogun said, his voice calm and serious "You know he craved Odin's pride more than anything else. He said so himself."

"Odin never treated him as inferior to Thor." Sif said.

"I always thought it was obvious that Odin favored Thor." Fandral said with a small shrug "But Frigga spent more time with Loki."

"He was raised with the idea that he was merely second choice to be king." Hogan said.

Sif didn't reply after that, looking at the ground thoughtfully.

Volstagg glanced at her "We're not saying Loki doesn't deserve his punishment. After what he did on Earth, I would have imprisoned him too."

"They're coming back." Fandral said, warning him to stop the conversation.

Thor led the way with Loki following him, expression impressive. Instead of stopping to chat with the others, Thor intended to go right back into the house, but a loud rumble behind them stopped him in his tracks.

The Bifrost had landed another person on Earth. He stood erect and with fierce pride. The warriors all took a few steps forward and dropped to one knee, arm crossed against their chest.

Captain America appeared in the doorway, having heard the noise. Thor and Loki stared at Odin in surprise, mouths open. Thor then copied the other Asgardians in the respectful motion. Loki almost seemed to consider doing the same, but decided against it. He kept his eyes away from Odin even as they stood up.

The king of Asgard walked forward, Gungnir grasped in his left hand.

"Father." Thor said, walking towards him. Loki hung back by the house, chin raised a bit.

"Jotunheim has invaded Earth." Odin said, observing the still melting ice around them.

"A portal was opened for a time and they did attack." Thor replied, falling in step with his father as they walked towards the house.

"Father, why have you come here?" Thor asked. He was greatly worried that this meant Odin was having another unreasonable phase.

"I wish to have words with the protectors of Midgard." Odin responded.

Captain America and Tony both watched with a little bit of foreboding.

Odin nodded slightly at them as he passed. He didn't greet Loki at all. The king stopped in the living room, facing all of the Avengers. Loki and the other warriors came inside, all watching him expectantly.

"I am Odin, King of Asgard, Allfather of the nine realms." he said, surveying them.

"Well, welcome." Tony said, holding out his hands slightly.

"You have Asgard's thanks for defending this realm. Frost giants were never meant to come here again." Odin continued, only slightly acknowledging Tony's greeting.

"Thor." Odin said, looking at his eldest son "What do we know about this trespassing?"

Thor almost glanced at Loki, but decided it was best if he explained instead.

"The Jotuns are entering through portals created by another being. These portals change position, so we cannot find where they are until they are open."

"Are the Jotuns able to control the portals?" Odin asked "If so, this realm could be in very great danger."

"When they came, it did not appear that they could choose when it opened or closed. It closed before others had entered." Thor responded.

"Good." Odin replied. He looked at Captain America, assuming him to be the leader of the group.

"Does the rest of Midgard know about these invasions?" he asked.

Captain America hesitated a moment before speaking.

"No. We don't want to cause panic when we might be able to stop the attack before it happens." he said. Odin nodded, seeming to accept the answer.

"Thor, you mentioned that there are beings behind the opening of the portals. Why would they target Midgard of all places?" he asked, looking at the other Asgardians.

"This realm is by far the most vunerable." Volstagg said.

"Not anymore." Odin replied, shifting his staff.

"Then why are you here?" Captain America asked, tilting his head a bit.

Odin returned Captain America's look "As protector of the nine realms, it is my right to interfere. I came to find if you had found a way to prevent another attack like this from happening."

"There isn't a way." Loki said from behind him. The king turned around to look at his former son. The hidden Jotun looked back at him, holding his gaze boldly. Thor looked in between them.

"What do you mean there's not a way?" Odin asked "There has to be a way or the nine realms are finished."

"We cannot track where the portals are until they are already opening." Loki replied.

"You mean you can't." Odin said "Since no one else seems to be able to identify a pathway at all."

Loki said nothing in reply to that until Thor spoke.

"We believe that they want Loki's scepter." he said. Volstagg looked at the other warriors with a scowl.

"The one that remains on Earth?" Odin asked.

"It's not a weapon that should be taken lightly. Many beings would kill if necessary to get it." Loki said.

Odin turned fully to face him "Is that why it was left?"

Loki narrowed his eyes "I wouldn't exactly have been able to collect it."

Odin continued to look at him, eyes serious "That was not a denial."

"No." Loki replied.

"Loki, I can recall the first time Jotuns crossed realms boundaries unexplained." Odin went on "Heimdall couldn't see it then either."

"Couldn't he?" the former prince asked, although his voice was quiet "I'm sorry, that must have been a mistake on my part."

Odin tilted his head warningly.

"Don't let your wit be the cause for your return to Asgard. How can you expect us believe it is not you opening these portals to allow the frost giants in?" he asked "After all, you have done it before."

Loki waited in silence for a moment, gaze not wavering. Then he opened his mouth to respond, but the king spoke first.

"Do not deny that." he said. Thor winced. His father was a rational, calm man normally, but he'd become sharper at times after Frigga's passing. The God of Thunder had faced that several times these past months.

Odin gave a small glare at his adopted son.

"Loki, you are a traitor and a prisoner of Asgard. Because of that, you should know you are beneath any of the mortals here. You renounced your right to your place and status a long time ago." Odin said, his voice unexpectedly cold. He looked at Thor momentarily before returning his burning gaze back to Loki "I do not want to hear from you that these attacks cannot be prevented. Rest assured, any attack can and _will_ be, with or without you. We have done as well without your skills at this point. You know as well as I do that the only reason you are alive is because of Frigga. She was rewarded for her charity by her own untimely death. As our law declares, you _should_ have died for your crimes, but were saved by the queen who was then killed protecting her kingdom. The man she welcomed as her own son couldn't even be there to defend her like he should have been. It is fitting to say that your life is now a disgrace to hers." Odin's words were filled with bitterness and grief disguised as anger "Loki- Laufey's son-you had better learn to be lonely because I intend to carry out what Frigga wished."

Thor pulled his head back, shocked at the name that had just been used.

"She permitted you the comfort of a prince, but I feel this should not be continued. Clearly, it has maintained your arrogant and foolish character." Odin growled.

"Father, not now." Thor interrupted, knowing this could very well bring chastisement upon himself. But he didn't want Odin to spit out punishments while he was like this. The words seemed to bring the king out of his anger and back to reality. The staff moved in his hand slightly and the heat still rested in his eyes.

Loki stared at his adopted father, having not moved an inch. His face was hard, as if immune to the harsh words, but if one took a deeper look, his eyes showed differently. Everyone else in the room was silent, eyes lowered to the ground or on one another. It seemed to stretch out for several minutes.

"Thor, come with me." Odin said, picking up Gungnir.

Thor glanced at Loki for a second, but his brother was looking down now, lips pursed slightly. He hadn't defended himself. After a moment, the God of Thunder followed his father outside.

Loki remained where he stood and silence hung in the room until it was broken by Sif.

"You're Laufey's son?" she asked breathily, eyes slightly wide.

Loki glanced swiftly at her, face enraged. Each one of the warriors were looking at him with a look of horror on their faces. After a moment, without saying anything, he turned to walk out of the room.

"Who is Laufey?" Captain America asked, watching him leave.

Sif waited until Loki was gone before replying.

"He was the king of Jotunheim."

* * *

The warriors knew Odin's outburst was due to his grief for the lost queen, but they had yet to see him lash out quite so darkly. Thor on the other hand, had been dealing with this since Frigga's death. It occurred less now, luckily. But Thor had no way of explaining any of that to Loki.

After the king and Prince had spoken, Odin had returned to Asgard. It still wasn't clear why he'd come to speak with them. Most likely because in the past, Asgard had been the one to defend Earth from the Jotuns, but now that the Avengers here, it was no longer the case. But that was unlike Odin in many respects.

The lighthearted mood of the warriors had vanished and there was a sober atmosphere among them all. Volstagg and Fandral were both very quiet for them, seeming to be thinking about something. Laura had listened to the whole thing from upstairs and had only come down a little while ago to get the general opinion about dinner. Eventually, she had decided to make it for the solemn group. Even Tony seemed to be rather taken aback. The God of Michief had gone outside earlier and had yet to come back in again.

Even as it got later into the night, Loki stayed outside. Thor watched him from the porch, face grieved. A few of the others looked out every so often as well, but not to check that he was still there. The Jotun stood near a crackling fire, facing the trees beyond, as unmoving as ever.

Loki fingered a healing scratch on his hand absentmindedly. Behind him were the lit up windows from the house, but if he just looked forward and listened to the fire, it was almost as if he were back in Asgard, staring off his balcony. Creatures flew above the treetops, wings fluttering so wildly they could have only been bats. The stars were slightly brighter tonight than they had been the previous, having been cleared of any clouds. Loki could see his breath when he exhaled.

The moon was reaching its fullest point, although it still had several days to go. It didn't offer much light for the forest ahead, which was pitch black.

He could hear someone approaching long before they got close. He glanced back, eyebrows going up a little bit.

Laura walked forward, a plate of food in her hand.

"I brought you this." she said, her voice a tiny bit uneasy "In case you wanted something."

Loki just have her a small nod and resumed his watch. Laura set it down on a log next to the fire and hesitated a moment before speaking again.

"I'm sorry about what he said to you." she said, eyes reflecting the flame of the fire. She rubbed her hand uncomfortably. Loki looked back as she continued.

"I don't think a father should ever speak that way to his son. You're still family. No matter what's happened."

Loki's eyes flicked away briefly before he focused on her again.

"Thank you. Laura." he replied evenly.

She nodded at him, eyes a tiny bit watery, surprisingly. He turned back to the wall of darkness without another word.

As she walked back to the house, the other warriors had joined Thor on the porch. Even Sif, whose heart was usually as hard as her face, seemed to realize that she couldn't turn her cheek away this time. For the first time, Loki just seemed sad.

"Odin didn't really mean it." Volstagg said, quietly "At least, most of it."

Thor didn't know what to say in reply, so he didn't do anything but look over at his friends.

When he turned his gaze back to his brother, there was now another figure standing beside him. Thor's brow furrowed and he took a few steps closer. It was a woman, white and transparent. One that he recognized. Tenderly, it appeared to be stroking Loki's hair with a light hand.

Thor took in a deep breath and swallowed. He didn't know whether his younger brother was aware of their mother's presence, but if he was, he gave no sign of it.

 **Please review!**


	12. Repercussions

**Sorry that this has taken so long! I just restarted college and classes are insane! Please review!**

Since the attack, both of Hawkeye's sons had stayed inside mostly. Unfortunately, because of that, they were getting a bad case of cabin fever. Instead of encouraging them to be outside, Laura decided to deal with it and entertain them inside. After all, unless Loki was out there, they would have no way of knowing if the frost giants would suddenly appear.

Nathaniel was currently trying to provoke Lila into arguing with him. She was coloring at the kitchen counter, a deep scowl on her face as she tried her best to ignore the boy. Laura had already scolded him several times.

"He's just following his father's example." Tony said.

"Yes, my name is Tony Stark and I'm constantly trying to annoy people." Hawkeye replied "Oh, wait."

"You pronounced Steve Rogers wrong." Tony replied matter of factly.

"What?" Captain America asked, looking over. He clearly hadn't been listening to the rest of the conversation.

"You two must be getting _very_ bored." Black Widow said with an amused roll of her eyes as she collected her gun to put into her holster. It was as cheerful as the group got right now.

They were heading back out now that Loki had demonstrated that he actually could tell them where a portal was forming. It was now just a matter of being able to place a bit of trust in him.

"I can put them to work." Laura replied.

"You might have to, before they go ballistic." Black Widow said, "Luckily we're getting out of the house today."

"We were out yesterday. It didn't really seem to improve much of the situation." Hawkeye said, holding up his injured arm pointedly.

"Turns out that Thor was right about humans not fighting frost giants." Tony said, gesturing vaguely over at him. Then he looked over at the door, as if suddenly worried that someone was there.

"And, uhhh...am I right that thinking being the son of the king inherently makes you king if he dies? Or is that only in our weird Earthly customs?" he asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's the same everywhere." Captain America said, "Which means he's the king of Jotunheim."

"It didn't look like it from the way he slaughtered those frost giants." Tony replied.

"Maybe he didn't know?" Hawkeye ventured.

"No, he knew." Captain America said "Don't you remember Thor saying that Loki was adopted?

And that there was no _sitting_ king of Jotunheim."

"So, if he's king..." Black Widow said. She raised her eyebrows at the group

"You heard those frost giants. They had no idea who he was besides the fact that he was an Asgardian." Captain America replied.

"So, him calling off the attack is probably not an option?" Tony asked. He snapped his fingers in mock disappointment without waiting for an answer.

"We might want to bring it up." Captain America pointed out "Just in case."

A few minutes after the subject had passed, Thor walked back inside. Black Widow glanced back and pushed off the table to turn and face him.

"When shall we depart?" he asked, "Two of my friends will remain here to defend the house from any frost giants should they appear."

"Thanks." Hawkeye said from where he was leaning against the wall.

"I think we should leave now." Captain America told him, walking over to the couch that his shield rested on "Get a little longer in daylight."

Tony rolled his eyes a little bit, but he was the first to start walking towards the door. Him and Hawkeye were the first ones out. Loki was on the porch, facing the field. Tony scowled a little bit when he saw him.

The God of Mischief had his eyes closed and was completely still. Unnaturally still.

"Loki?" he asked, but the God didn't acknowledge him in any way. Captain America frowned when he saw and took a few more steps toward him when Thor came out the door. He looked confused as to why all the attention was on Loki. He looked at his younger brother before also noticing the stillness. The others may have suspected something, but Thor knew of Loki's tricks better than any of them. He immediately walked over and reached out a hand, expecting to go right through and confirm his suspicions that it was an illusion and Loki was no longer there.

To his surprise, he touched his brother, rather hard because he hadn't expected to hit something solid.

Loki's eyes opened, wider than usual as turned sharply. A familiar light withdrew from his gaze. He looked at Thor with a bewildered scowl.

"What?" he asked in irritation.

"Sorry." Thor said, still looking his brother up and down. Not an illusion, but some sort of a trance. Thor blinked, a thought coming to his mind, one that lined up with the light he'd seen remaining. And that would agree with what he'd seen last night.

"Were you speaking to mother?"

Loki's eyes narrowed briefly as he passed him.

"Well, I wasn't escaping if that's what you really want to know. Why? Would you be jealous if I were?" He stepped over a few of Nathaniel's toys on his way towards the stairs. He assumed they must be leaving since his older brother had roused him from his spell.

Thor watched him go for a moment in silence before slowly walking out after him. The God of Mischief was already down the steps.

"Loki." he stopped the Jotun in his tracks. He paused for several seconds as he walked down to him. He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder softly from behind, making him tense.

"You know father did not mean what he said." Thor said quietly.

Loki didn't reply for the same amount of time before he turned slightly.

"Thor. As lying is not your strong suit, I suggest you stick to your hammer." he said, voice forcefully steady.

"That isn't a lie, Loki." Thor said with angry indignance. He was rather surprised at the retort, but he told himself it should have been expected.

"No?" Loki turned fully to face him, fists clenched a little as Thor pulled back his extended arm and looked at his younger brother "You and I both know that everything said in there was the truth." his voice got more intense until he half spat the words "Right down to my born father's name." his eyes narrowed into a glare "So please, don't try and cover for him by telling me he didn't mean it."

The warriors, having heard the rising tones, came closer in from the forest, eyes on the two Asgardians.

"Loki, father has been blinded by grief since mother died." Thor responded, trying not sound frustrated. He'd been rehearsing what to say out of sympathy, not anger, but it was hard to contain it. He realized that he too had faced Odin's irrational side. When he was being banished. He didn't cherish the memory.

"That would be a surprise. I didn't realize he actually cared for other people." Loki said, ignoring the people listening.

"Loki, enough of your mockery. Odin is king. He cannot give you preferential treatment." Thor replied angrily.

"No, of course not, because I'm just the frost giant son." Loki said, leaning forward a bit with his words "Heaven forbid he ever forget that."

"That isn't what I meant." Thor responded.

"But, of course, if the great Thor should start a war with the Jotuns, let's all find a way to help him back from banishment anyway that we can." Loki continued, flicking his hands "After all, he's first born, heir to the throne, we couldn't lose him."

"You never could forgive me for that." Thor said, looking at his brother soberly "Loki, we were always equal. You should know that. I never meant to make you feel less than me."

"I think you did." Loki replied quietly, nodding "But you didn't have to. Odin did better than the both of us put together."

"He loved you." Thor said, "He always loved you. If you can't see that-"

"Maybe as a trophy. A tool. He never loved me as a son." Loki spat.

"You didn't see him grieve when he thought he'd lost you!" Thor snapped, clenching his hammer tightly, teeth pressed together. The tears his father had spilled with their mother were uncountable.

"Oh, but we know it would have been much worse had he lost you instead." Loki refuted immediately, his voice bitter.

"You don't know that's true." Sif said sharply from behind them.

"Don't I, Sif?" Loki asked, turning sharply to look at her "After all, it's the same with you. With all of you. It always was."

"No it wasn't." Volstagg spoke up with a scowl "Loki, you were just as much our friend as Thor was. You had no need to feel that way."

"Then you're as blind as Odin." Loki responded, hatefully. Volstagg blinked in confused annoyance.

"The idea that you were excluded was all in your head, my friend." Fandral said, his voice less harsh "We all followed Thor because..." He trailed off, realizing his mistake with a curse in his mind.

"Because he was first born. And always _destined_ to be your King." Loki hissed savagely "Can any of you deny that Odin told Thor that? That he spent more of his time with Thor? No. So don't try to pretend that everything was always equal. Or that you were ever truly my friends. That's the weakest lie of all."

"Loki, how can you say that? You're the blind one!" Volstagg said incredulously "Have you forgotten our time spent together? I trusted you with my life! We would have died for you!"

It was all coming out now. The jealousy, the hatred, everything he'd ever felt slighted in, because Loki's eyes blazed similarly to Odin's the night before. Several of the other Avengers drew nearer to the conflict warily, hearing the true reason behind The God of Mischief's resentment to Thor. They'd all witnessed it firsthand with the Allfather the night before.

"You've never been able to accept that you were loved." Thor said, voice low and hard "Especially not after you found out what you were. That destroyed you."

"You weren't raised to hate what you are!" Loki snarled "Odin only brought me back to become Jotunheim's king. The king of monsters."

"If that was the case, you and I would never have been brothers." Thor replied, raising his hammer "You would have spent your life separate from everyone else. Mother raised you like she raised me."

"And she's dead, Thor!" Loki half shouted at him, trembling with anger as his eyes filled with tears of hatred. This was the first time Thor saw it. He'd known it all along but had never quite realized the depth that his younger brother grieved for their mother. Such raw grief in those trembling hands.

"You know who came to tell me?" Loki asked, staring him down as a furious tear slid down his cheek "Tell me that she was dead? Not Odin. Not you. A guard. A damn guard. You and Odin couldn't even face me _yourselves_."

"We had enough to grieve without seeing you." Thor replied angrily, taking a few steps forward.

"Odin doesn't grieve for me." Loki hissed "But I know one thing he said was true for sure. I wasn't where I should have been. I should have been with her, because apparently you and Odin were too _weak_ to save her!"

"You were no help from your cell. No one could have possibly saved her." Thor snarled. It was a sore spot to prod and combined with mourning, the God's temper flared quickly.

"I could have." Loki replied, glaring "And I would have, I promise you that."

Thor threw his hammer furiously, sending it into the woods. It smashed into several trees before returning harshly to its master's hands, where it waited threateningly. Clouds were starting to form in the sky and thunder could be heard not far off.

"For Valhalla's sake, stop." Volstagg said, walking towards them.

"How dare you tell me that!" Thor yelled at his younger brother "You betrayed her, Loki, not me!"

"You did exactly the same thing as I did, except with the Jotuns. Killed hundreds more than I did here." Loki spat "Which only furthers the point that they have no value in Odin's eyes. The blood in my veins will never be enough."

"I learned from my mistakes, Loki." Thor said sharply "You didn't."

"How could I?" Loki asked, spreading his hands "I was never given the chance. All you and father will ever see is a _frost giant_."

"I never did!" Thor thrust his hammer forward, this time right at Loki. He was blind to the fact that his brother had finally, and mistakenly, called Odin his father. Fortunately, or unfortunately, The God of Mischief was well prepared for Thor's attack and already gone.

"Thor! Thor don't!" Fandral exclaimed, hurrying over. Sif and Hogun followed him.

Loki reappeared behind his older brother, knife out as he took a vicious swipe. Thor stumbled forward, hand out to summon his hammer back as he spun around. Loki walked towards him, face dark, with both daggers in his hand. Thor let out what could only be described as a human growl as he swung Mjolnir at him. The Jotun easily evaded his swing, ducking around it and kicking Thor away.

"We need to stop them." Captain America said, looking at the other warriors. Noticeably, he said 'them' and not just Loki. After all, Thor was on the offensive at the moment.

"You want me to shoot?" Hawkeye asked plaintively, bow hanging at his side.

"Who?" Tony asked, looking at him "We need both of them."

"I don't plan on killing either of them." Hawkeye responded. It would take more than an arrow anyway.

Thor's hammer skimmed the ground, sending pieces flying into the air. He threw it, again finding that it went straight through an illusion. This time, however, Thor called it back much sooner and the hammer came back, striking the real Loki on the shoulder. It knocked him stumbly forward.

As Thor ran towards him, Loki looked up swiftly. Pieces of dirt from where Mjolnir had scraped flew into the air, lifted by an unseen wind current. Thor yelled as they flew into his eyes.

"Fandral, Hogun, you stop Loki." Volstagg said "Sif, help me with Thor."

"How exactly do we do that?" Fandral asked, looking at the battle "He's all over the place."

"Find him and stop him." Volstagg growled.

"What if Loki tries to escape?" Sif asked intensely.

"Loki isn't leaving. He didn't start the fight." Volstagg replied.

"He provoked Thor." Sif snapped back.

There was a bright green flash as magic defended a strike from Thor. The God of Thunder was thrown off his feet as Loki knocked them from under him.

"Alright." Tony said, backing up "I'm going in."

"No, wait." Captain America said, "Let them try and stop it first."

"Well somebody better do something before they kill each other." Tony replied, one hand on the door frame. Him and Captain America switched between the rational and irrational leaders rather often.

Loki maneuvered a bit too swiftly for Thor, although obviously Thor had the upper hand in brute strength. Even so, Loki held off Mjolnir between his daggers, pressing back against Thor. His power was sometimes surprising for his size. The knife made a long, clean cut on his older brother's lower arm as Loki twisted away and Thor grunted loudly. Loki immediately whirled back around, knifes ready in his hands.

The warriors ran towards the two of them since they had moved a way off, but suddenly rain began pouring down on them, created by Thor himself. Thunder cracked in the sky and lightening flashed.

"Good God." Tony said.

The hammer sung as it flew through the air, rain drops shattering on it. Loki ducked out of the way, cutting it a little close even for him. Smoke appeared out of nowhere, hiding both him and Thor's position.

Even though it mostly meant to give Loki the advantage over Thor, it prevented the others from making much progress. Volstagg waved at it angrily, but it was too thick.

"Guys, Loki could easily slip away under all of this." Black Widow called over the storm. She has both guns pointed out towards the hidden fight "Then we'll have a whole new problem."

As the smoke dissipated a little, Thor's hammer finally hit Loki straight on, sending him flying back into one of the trees. It cracked under the force, collapsing backwards with a crash. Thor walked forward, and a blade suddenly flew out, catching him in the shoulder. He yelled out, hand reaching to it and yanking it out. Blood stained the edge.

Loki ran at him, leaping in the air and plunging both feet into his older brother's chest. He rolled the rest of the way before getting to his feet. Thor called his hammer back, raising it angrily.

A bang louder than any thunder shook the air suddenly and a flash of white light blinded them for a moment. Loki and Thor were thrown back, nothing landing flat on their backs. The smoke cleared, and the clouds withdrew a bit.

In the midst stood Odin, head held high with his staff grasped in his hand.

Thor and Loki both stopped, separated by the king. They were breathing heavily, chests heaving and eyes still glaring hate for each other as they looked up at him.

"That's enough!" Odin said angrily. His voice was far too loud and strong for the king's elderly appearance. He looked in between them for a moment before settling on Thor "I'll not have my sons fighting while Earth is under attack by Jotunheim." he looked back at Loki, eyes burning "Either of you! We can't have you wasting yourselves on each other while this world suffers."

Loki looked back at him, eyes narrowed as he took deep breaths. Thor finally looked at the ground, the anger in his eyes less intense now. Replaced by shame.

"Now forget your anger and stop this nonsense." Odin continued, eyes shifting back to his eldest "You have a job to do. Now go do it."

Thor's eyes flicked over to Loki, whose chin was raised with a bit of defiance still. Volstagg and the others backed off slightly. Black Widow lowered her guns back to her side as silence filled the air.

Loki was the first one to move. He got up and stepped a little bit closer to Odin, eyes still narrowed.

"Of course." he said coldly "King."

He walked away from them, limping ever so slightly on his left leg. He wiped blood from his face and flung it to the side. Odin stared after him, his uncovered eye back to the calm and reserved man he used to be. Even so, something sparked in his gaze, but he obviously decided not to act on it.

Thor's arm was bleeding from the cut Loki had inflicted and there was a red welt rising on his jaw. And of course, the puncture wound in his shoulder. No telling how bad it would have gotten if they had continued their battle.

"You started the fight." Odin said to Thor without looking at him.

The God of Thunder didn't reply for a moment because it wasn't a question but a statement.

"He spoke to the fact that mother died under my watch." he said finally, voice shaking a bit.

"Frigga died to save Asgard. I don't want you to be tainted by the fact that you couldn't save her." Odin responded.

It was the exact opposite of what he had told Loki the previous day. Of course, he seemed to have cleared his mind and he WAS talking to Thor instead.

"I shouldn't have done it." Thor said, letting his hammer hit the ground in disgust. He stared after his younger brother and let a loud frustrated sigh.

"Once again, my son, I remind you of the many lessons I taught you. Mjolnir is not a tool for your temper." Odin replied, following Thor's gaze.

"Well if that isn't the height of hypocrisy, I don't know what is." Hawkeye said to the rest of the Avengers standing around him.

* * *

Thor followed his father off the path and deeper into the forest. Once it was clear that Loki wasn't going anywhere, Odin had asked Thor to walk with him.

"Should I not return him to Asgard now?" The king asked, planting his staff into the dirt. Thor blinked for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

"Father, Loki does grieve for mother. Deeply. He was not able to attend the conjoined mourning when we were able to send her to Valhalla."

"He is a prisoner. I can't grant such rights." Odin replied pointedly "I cannot lighten his sentence, Thor, the council would not allow it. Nor would it be safe. Besides, you just tried to send Mjolnir after him, why would you defend him now?"

When Thor failed to reply, Odin looked ahead of them.

"You still view him as your brother. Even if you say you do not."

"He always felt slighted, father. Ever since we were children." Thor said, his voice pained a little "Tell me honestly, did you view him as less than me? Loki is more perceptive than many think."

Odin fell silent for several moments before looking down at the ground and hanging on his staff slightly. Frigga had told him the same thing many times.

"No." he said.

"We would not have gotten away as unharmed as we were if Loki hadn't warned us of the Jotun attack." Thor replied.

"You do not have to defend him to me." Odin responded.

"Father, I know what he has done. I do not mean to draw away from that. I know that I will never have the same trust in him. But he has acted more like the brother I knew than he has in a long time even if he does not speak to me as such. He saved the life of one of my friends."

"I am aware." Odin responded.

"Perhaps there is some part of him that wants redemption."

"What Loki wants is revenge. Redemption would be impossible." Odin replied, "Even if he did desire it."

"You spoke very harshly to him." Thor said back rather boldly "He believes all we see is a frost giant. And what you said didn't help!"

It was surprising that Odin didn't chastise him back, seeing as how Thor had just basically pushed his and Loki's mending relationship back to square one.

"He is not a lost cause. I see that now." Thor responded "And mother did too. I believe...I believe he is communicating with her."

Odin looked at him "You cannot communicate with the dead, Thor."

As his son opened his mouth to object, the king interrupted.

"That is not to say he is not trying." he said "Loki is talented, yes, but there is not a way to speak with the dead. He may seek her, but he will not find her."

"I believe he has." Thor replied simply "I..." he paused, eyes a little puzzled "I saw mother. Father, I saw her the night after you chastised Loki. She was with him."

Odin regarded him seriously "Are you sure this was not an illusion?"

"Yes. She was white and transparent, and Loki did not acknowledge her."

Odin looked down, apparently troubled by this news. He muttered something under his breath.

"What?" Thor asked intensely.

"The walls between us and the dead are weakened." Odin responded, "Much like the walls between our realms now." he returned his eyes to Thor "That does not mean he can speak with her, but it would explain what you saw."

"She came to him. That must mean she still believes in him." Thor said.

Odin sighed "Frigga has a gentle heart. That means nothing for Loki."

"Father, if you could see him here, you may not think of him so."

"You are not to place trust in him. Loki would do anything to secure his freedom." Odin countered.

"He would be gone if that were the case." Thor responded.

"He is a master at deceiving." Odin said, echoing Black Window's words.

"You're speaking as a king." Thor replied, low voice insistent "You called him your son. Speak as his father."

"Thor, you have grown a very forgiving heart, much like Frigga." Odin said, turning to his son with a tender face "But, I _must_ speak as King. When you rule Asgard, you will come to realize that as well."

"I do not think I can be king if that is what is required." Thor responded, "I could not tell Loki he has to spend his life in prison."

"You couldn't currently because you are blinded by being with him now. You could have when he returned from Earth." Odin said "That is why the punishment follows quickly after the crime. He is not the son I raised. He is the son of Laufey."

"Do you not love him still?" Thor asked, almost willing him say yes. Even he did not quite understand the reasoning behind his defense of Loki.

"He is a traitor. That is as far as my emotions must extend." Odin replied.

"No, it's not. If not as a father, as a king, extend mercy. You do not have to release him." Thor said "But Loki has the capability to become a protector of Asgard again. He sees Earth as beneath him, but he defended it as fiercely as I did when the Jotuns came."

"Thor. I already told you that you do not have to defend him to me. But I cannot, and I _will not_." he paused looking at Thor seriously "Lighten his sentence. I'm sorry, my son. He has acted on darkness rather than light."

 **I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	13. Newcomer

**So like there's a certain someone who everyone thought was dead and ended up not being dead in Infinity War and I don't like the way they handled it. So yeah. Please enjoy!**

Being from Asgard and Jotunheim, Thor and Loki healed much faster than ordinary humans. Loki only had a thin cut on the side of his face and Thor's arm was already scabbed over. It now resembled the burn on Hawkeye's arm.

The next morning, they had left early, leaving Hogun and Fandral behind with Laura and the kids. Loki had avoided speaking to Thor like the plague. He didn't necessarily seem angry, perhaps bitter or just sad and if not sad, then resigned.

By the evening time, the group had reached a stalemate. They couldn't just sit here and wait, but they couldn't search the whole world either. And it wasn't as if it was of much use unless they were in the right place at the right time. At least this had been Hawkeye's point of frustration.

The subject had come up about sending word out to the public, but Captain America and Hawkeye had shut it down immediately. There was nothing worse than mass panic. That would only make it harder for them to do their job. If it could be called a job.

Thor went to speak to Loki several times, but he never followed through. The Jotun's cold demeanor wasn't helping. Loki knew that the Avengers were uneasy partially because, technically, he was the king of the monsters attacking them. They blamed him subconsciously, not entirely aware of it themselves, because he wasn't doing anything about it. It was unlikely these thoughts had actually been connected in anyone's mind, but Loki connected it himself. Being a frost giant just qualified a person for being hated in this universe. Or so he believed.

Fortunately, Hawkeye's children had no such prejudices. Especially since Loki had saved their father.

All of them were inside the house right now, including Loki. There weren't any guards outside the house at the moment, so the God of Mischief was lingering closer. Thor hadn't asked him to do so, but it seemed the best way to avoid any conflict.

To try and lighten the dim mood, Volstagg had brought some Asgardian liquor down. Mead. Although so far the only ones actually drinking it were him, Fandral, Hogun, and Thor.

"How old would you wage this stuff is?" Tony asked, tapping on a bottle.

"Older than you." Volstagg replied with a hearty laugh. Loki rolled his eyes ever so slightly, but he didn't take his eyes off his book.

Tony grabbed a glass and held it out. Fandral's eyebrows went up and him and Volstagg glanced at each other.

"It's not like your drinks here." Thor said simply.

"I know. That's exactly why I want to try it." Tony replied "Don't need to be much, just a titch."

Volstagg shrugged and picked up the bottle. He poured about a third of the glass, which must have been well above the expectation because Tony eyed it. Captain America scowled slightly.

"Here goes nothing." Tony said and took a nice big sip.

Everyone was watching him and it wasn't long before Tony's eyes widened a bit and he started coughing.

"Alright, yep, I'm in." Hawkeye said, sliding over a glass.

"Well let's at least try to avoid getting drunk." Captain America said, sitting down.

Tony breathed out loudly "Wow, that's got a kick to it."

"I wouldn't have much more." Fandral said, pointing a finger at him casually "It's not meant for mortals."

Thor laughed, taking another large drink.

"We've got a stalker." Black Widow said, nodding over to the living room.

Cooper had appeared there, sword in hand. He was indeed trying to sneak up behind Loki, who was faced completely away from him.

"Ten bucks says he hits him." Black Widow said quietly.

"No way." Tony shook his head "That guy pops in and out so fast you don't even remember he's there."

Cooper was about two feet from him now. He took one more step and raised the sword Loki had given him, face exhilarated that he might finally be able to do it. He swung it and suddenly the weapon vanished in midair.

Cooper fell forward, propelled by his momentum. Loki turned around slowly, looking down at him with raised eyebrows.

"Looking for this?" he asked, holding up the long sword.

Cooper's mouth opened indignantly.

"How did you know I was coming? We hadn't even been fighting!" he protested.

"Because you're loud." Loki responded, handing the sword back to him.

"I didn't make any sound." Cooper said, stepping back as The God of Mischief passed him.

"That's a matter of opinion." Loki replied.

"What?" Cooper asked in confusion.

Loki didn't reply to him.

Nathaniel was at the bottom of the stairs, looking disappointed. He jumped off the last steps and went over to his older brother. He had on footie pajamas with little rockets all over him.

Hawkeye motioned them over to him. As they approached, he raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for bed?"

Cooper gestured at the window in exasperation "It's still light out!"

"Yes, but you wake up at the crack of dawn." Hawkeye replied "Go back upstairs to your mother."

"She's with Lila." Cooper responded "She hasn't even noticed we're gone."

"Then you'd better get back before she does." Hawkeye said pointedly.

"Can we PLEASE stay up?" Cooper appealed "You're never here and when you are we're always asleep."

Hawkeye looked at him and seemed to let out a mental sigh. After a second, he rolled his eyes slightly.

"Alright, you can stay up for another hour."

Both boys let out a sound of triumph and turned back around.

"But hey, go get Lila so she can be out here too." Hawkeye requested.

"I'll get her." Nathaniel said immediately, running over to the stairs. Cooper followed him, not to be outdone by his younger brother. He pushed him to the side slightly as they raced for the stairs and Nathaniel protested lightly.

"How often do you come back to see them?" Captain America asked, fiddling with his glass.

"You mean when does SHIELD not need me?" Hawkeye asked "Honestly, never, but I take time off anyway every once in a while."

"Well, we can drink to that." Tony said, gesturing at his glass "Take a sip."

Hawkeye raised his glass and took a bit smaller drink than Tony. Unsurprisingly, he had the same reaction, except his eyes began to water just a little bit towards the end. Volstagg laughed again.

The thought to invite Loki over undoubtably entered everyone's minds at least once, but it never came to pass. Loki seemed to prefer his distance from them and more particularly since the fight between him and Thor.

"How can you guys drink that stuff?" Hawkeye asked, pushing the rest of his glass away.

"It's only the best." Fandral replied.

"I would keep the drinking sensible, boys." Sif said with a little bit of annoyed amusement.

"Boys are we?" Volstagg asked.

"Have a drink?" Fandral offered her.

Sif rolled her eyes slightly and he poured her one. He didn't need her consent to know she did.

Tony took another sip and still coughed "Alright Rogers, your turn." he seemed to shake a finger at the bottle "That stuff is potent as hell."

"Well, your words are starting to slur so I don't think I should." Captain America said.

"You're not quite human though." Hawkeye said.

"Human?" Captain America asked, giving him a look "I think I'm more human than all of you put together."

"Wow." Black Widow said, tilting her head "That was cocky.

"What about you?" Tony asked, looking at Banner.

The man winced, glancing down at the bottle "Yeah, sorry, alcohol and emotions don't mix too well together."

"I thought that was the point." Tony said, spreading his hands.

All three children came running down the stairs as Banner looked at Tony, unable to come up with a response. He finally just kind of blinked and looked away.

"Loki?" Thor asked, looking over at his younger brother. It was the first time either of them had addressed each other since the fight. He stood up and walked closer to him "Join us for a drink."

Loki lifted his head, eyes stoic. The others all glanced in his direction and no one objected, even by facial expression.

"No. I'll pass." Loki replied, looking back down.

Thor didn't really have a response to that, but he didn't need one because Cooper and Nathaniel walked over to them.

"Can we play with your hammer?" Nathaniel asked eagerly, eyes wide with anticipation. A few of the warriors snickered quietly as not to be overheard by the child. Thor frowned slightly.

"No." he responded, his answer sounding a tiny bit like a question itself.

Nathaniel looked down in disappointment and a embarrassment. Cooper gestured at him for them to go outside with a waved of his hands.  
As they left, Loki scowled over at The God of Thunder.

"What?" Thor asked, sounding a bit surprised at his look.

"Do you remember when you used to be the nice brother?" Loki asked in irritation "It was like five seconds ago. It used to be me, then you took over for the last little while and you just transferred it right back."

"Well they _can't_ play with it." Thor replied forcefully, clearly just stating a fact.

"They weren't asking if it were possible to play with it, they were asking if they _might_ play with it." Loki said, stressing certain parts of the sentence in emphasis as he moved his hand with the words "For someone who has spent a lot more time around mortals than I have, you certainly know nothing about them."

Thor pressed his lips together angrily, eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Loki.

"And suddenly your moral compass points up?"

"It doesn't have to just for me to see that you were not very kind." Loki said pointedly "I mean, I guess it's not surprising considering you couldn't even keep a mortal woman at your side, which should have been easy considering you're a God."

"You're one to talk seeing as you've never courted a woman in your life." Thor replied in annoyance, clearly surprised and stung at his words.

"Fair enough." Loki conceded, spreading his hands and staring at him stoically. Then he looked back down at his book without another word.

Thor stared at him with a deep scowl on his face as if unsatisfied with the way the conversation had ended. He finally looked away, arms folded. Then, after a few more seconds he dropped his arms, turned and walked towards the door after the children. Loki's eyes surreptitiously followed him and he didn't have to say anything for the others to know what he was thinking.

"He's humbled more than you know." Sif said, regarding Loki pointedly.

The God of Mischief's eyes flicked up at her, but he didn't reply to her. Sif continued to stare, clearly peeved by his silence. She took it for disbelief.

####

They weren't sure what Thor had done out there, but one could only assume he went to apologize. Either way, when he came back in, he gave Loki a look before going back over to the others. The younger brother didn't seem to notice, or care. The two boys were still outside, while Lila remained beside her father, climbing on and off his lap.

Laura had come down and to everyone's surprise she didn't scold her husband for being a bit more lenient with the children. She looked at the Asgardian mead bottle with raised eyebrows, having already heard a bit of Tony's slur. Even though Captain America's reaction hadn't been any different to the liquor, he didn't appear to be suffering the side effects.

While it appeared they were celebrating, they truly had nothing to be celebrating about right now. They were more self-medicating than anything. Responsibly of course.

"That stuff really is disgusting." Hawkeye said, seeming to think back on his experience.

"Were you Asgardian, you would not think so." Volstagg replied with a smile.

Nathaniel and Cooper both came stomping back into the house, although by now it was background noise to everyone. Loki still stared down at his book, turning the pages every few minutes.

Nathaniel glanced furvitively around, as if ready to divulge a secret. Then he walked over towards Thor's hammer, which rested in the family room on the floor. He went over to it and pulled on it lightly, as not to attract attention.

Volstagg and Fandral both chuckled, having noticed it first. Thor then glanced back with raised eyebrows.

It captured Loki's focus too, because after a moment and once Nathaniel began straining, he walked over. He deftly touched his shoulder.

"Better men have tried." he said, his voice rather hushed.

"You can help me." Nathaniel admonished.

Loki let out a breath halfway between annoyance and amusement.

"I can't. It won't help."

Nathaniel stopped and looked up at him with a very irritated child scowl.

Loki nodded "Believe me, I know. Take it up with Odin."

A rumble of thunder outside surprised them all for a moment and they looked over at the window. Loki looked up at the ceiling, as if sure he misheard.

"Rain?" Tony asked. The sky had been clearer than anything today. He was answered by another boom of thunder.

Loki looked over at Thor. His older brother shrugged.

"It's not me."

Loki's eyebrows went up, almost as if he didn't believe him.

"It's not." Thor repeated with a bit more force. Almost as if to prove his innocence, he walked over towards the door, grabbing his hammer as he did so. Loki leaned away from him slightly in irritation as if simply being within half a foot disgusted him. Then he walked after Thor. Nathaniel went to follow, but Loki grabbed his arm with a rather harsh grip. He pulled him back to where Laura could keep ahold of him.

"Not again." Hawkeye muttered, standing up. Out of anyone, he definitely had a reason to be most worried. Besides having nearly died, he had Laura and the others to worry about. Not to mention the home to defend.

"Tone down the thunder, God of Thunder." Tony said with a bit more cheer.

He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but no one else seemed quite as amused anymore. Volstagg and the others went to follow them and after a moment, Captain America did too.

When they got out, they found Thor and Loki both staring up at a gathering storm. It looked like an ordinary storm except for the fact that it was all gathering in one spot.

"Random...hurricane? Tony asked, looking around. Most of them were actually looking at Loki, but he wasn't saying anything.

"Are you sure this isn't you, Thor?" Fandral asked hopefully "I wouldn't be at all upset if you said yes. Even if it were a practical joke."

"I'm not doing anything." Thor said. He looked at Loki "What is this?"

Loki shook his head slightly without looking at him.

Then, without warning, Thor summoned his own lightening by thrusting his hammer into the air. The bolt shot into the center of the mystery clouds, electrifying the air around it. When he stopped, most of the clouds had dispersed.

Loki was still looking up at it, face concerned. Thor's own lightening seemed to have taken care of the ominous storm. It was definitely unnatural by the way it receded so quickly.

"Well it's gone now." Thor said. Even though his words were definitive, they were almost defiant in the way they denied that anything else would happen. Loki didn't correct him, but he slowly took his eyes from the sky. Captain America watched him with cautious eyes.

"I don't suppose there's anyway we can return to the festivities now?" Volstagg asked, earning an elbow from Fandral.

Thor was now looking at Loki, clearly demanding to know something, but the God of Mischief wasn't returning his gaze. He was simply standing there, listening and waiting, eyes unfocused.

"I don't suppose you've seen this before?" Captain America asked.

"No." Loki said flatly.

The soldier looked away, clearly unsatisfied.

"But my best guess is that it's a warning." the God went on.

"A warning for what?" Hawkeye asked with a bit of sharpness "More frost giants?"

"Most likely." Loki responded, nodding towards the field.

"Most likely?" Captain America asked, following his gaze.

Near a pile of churned up dirt, the dust was starting to swirl, lifted by an unseen force.

Thor turned to it, hammer waving a bit in his hand with anticipation. All the other warriors walked forward to stand by his side. They could deal with frost giants.

"I certainly hope it's not more of them." Tony asked "Their strategy didn't work out so well the first time, so for their sake, I hope they're not returning for another round."

"They didn't announce themselves last time." Hawkeye pointed out, referring to the thunder.

The air simmered, and then turned black as a single hooded figure stepped out of the void.

"That's no frost giant." Captain America said, stepping forward next to Thor.

"Wait. We don't know who they are. Maybe they're peaceful." Thor said, halting him.

The figure walked forward, keeping his head low.

"Stop where you are." Thor ordered "If you come in peace then we have no quarrel with you."

"Come in peace?" the voice belonged to that of a man. Captain America's eyes widened just a bit.

"Peace has no place in war, gentleman." the main continued, raising his hands to take off his hood. He looked up at them, sunken eyes filled with triumphant menace.

He had red skin and horrible grotesque features. His nose resembled that of a skull. He smiled at them.

"Do not threaten war here!" Thor yelled back.

"This isn't the first time. And as much as you hate to admit it, it's quite easy." he said. His eyes finally fell on Captain America with a bit of surprise "Well this unexpected. You're still alive. I honestly didn't expect anyone here to greet me."

The newcomer was Red Skull.

 **Please review! Please remember that everything that happens has a purpose in this story. :)**


	14. Past Hatred

"Do not threaten war here!" Thor yelled at Red Skull, fist clenching his hammer.

"This isn't the first time. And as much as you hate to admit it, it's quite easy." he said. His eyes finally fell on Captain America with a bit of surprise "Well this unexpected. You're still alive. I honestly didn't expect anyone here to greet me." he tilted his head "And yet there are two."

Loki looked back at the man, head leaned forward and eyes lit with anticipation. He took a few slow steps forward, wary as he watched the red faced man.

"You truly are unpredictable, Loki." Red Skull said, shaking his head slightly without taking his eyes off the God of Mischief "I had high doubts about whether you would return from your endeavor and yet here you are."

"I have doubts about whether you'll ever be given an endeavor to follow through on." Loki responded. Captain America faced the red faced man right on, eyes scowling deeply over at him. The fact that his oldest enemy was speaking to someone else besides him came as a shock.

"I think you'll be surprised to find that I have undertaken many these last few months." Red Skull said with an almost amused sigh "No matter what you believe about me, _you're_ still back here with him."

Loki paced slightly, his long and very sharp knife sliding into his hand. This was cause for alarm among everyone else.

"You're just humiliated by the fact that He chose me and not you." Loki said. Red Skull glowered back at him. This suggested a pre-existing conflict between the two of them.

"How have you come to this realm?" Thor snapped, having no appreciation for the gravity of the moment.

"Oh my, he really is a fool." Red Skull said, seeming still to be talking to Loki.

"You always speak that of others, but never of yourself, where it is most evident." Loki replied, still pacing as he stared the mutant down. Thor looked at his younger brother. Cleverly, Loki had neither agreed with nor denied what the new man claimed about his older brother.

"Who is this guy?" Hawkeye asked under his breath, arrow pulled far back, ready to send it into his target.

The conversation was clearly making everyone question the God of Mischief's motives as he spoke to the invader.

Red Skull looked at Loki, his face full of disdain "You have noticed the weakening of the borders between the realms."

"I'd be surprised if you were the master behind that." Loki responded coldly, moving into a position to fight.

"No. You're not truly that naíve are you?" Red Skull asked, a grin creeping over those ugly cheeks.

Loki sneered at him in reply.

"You know, we did warn you." Red Skull said, walking forward slowly, eyes slightly smug "He warned you to kill him quickly. Or you would fall right back into that trap."

Loki said nothing in reply to that and the group fell into a very tense silence as the two glared at each other, hatred hanging in the air.

"Alright, are you going to back off or am I going to shoot you?" Hawkeye called. Red Skull smiled slightly.

"What do you know about what's happening between the different worlds?" Captain America asked, looking at him warningly. He had his shield rest in front of him rather than on his side.

"Well, like your new comrad said, I'm not the only one using it to my advantage." Red Skull said "No, indeed. There have been many spots of unrest in this universe. One beginning on Asgard with the murder of their precious queen."

Loki's back stiffened noticeably while Thor took in a deep breath, clearly brought on by anger.

"Oh." Red Skull shook his head while clicking his tongue disapprovingly at the God of Mischief "Loki, for shame. All that burying of sentimentality undone by a single sentence. Come now, she wasn't even your mother. You said so yourself."

"You're laying a net at your feet." Loki warned, voice low and dangerous.

"You should have been the one to kill her, Loki. After all, it really was in your favor that she died." Red Skull said.

If only looks could kill, their problem would have been solved. The God's eyes shone fury. A different type of fury than the one where he fought Thor. This one was fueled by remorse and grief, although you wouldn't see that by his expression.

"Quite gracelessly I must add." Red Skull replied "Such a shameful death, unable to defend ones self or the realm they swore protect. Tell me, Loki, was she truly that weak? It's not a wonder Asgard suffered under her rule."

"How dare you." Thor growled.

Loki pointed a knife at the Red Skull, face dark "You should have died long ago. I'll see to that today."

"I doubt that very much. But others might." Red Skull replied "Look at it from my perspective. Even if I die, the borders could be so blurred I might be able to slip to Valhalla and pay her a visit. If she's even there. See how weak she truly is."

Loki let out a sharp yell, full of anger and finally ran at him. Surprisingly, Red Skull whipped around and ran the other way.

"Loki, wait!" Thor snapped, immediately running after him. He was rather surprised since Loki was usually the one who kept his cool much longer than him. Captain America was the first one to follow them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Loki was much quicker on his feet than either of them. Red Skull, having had a head start, was already hitting the tree line a ways out from the house.

"Hogun, Sif, stay with them." Volstagg said, gesturing at house, but the other Avengers were in that direction as well.

"Why? The threat just left." Sif replied in annoyance as she pointed over urgently.

"That may have been a diversion." Volstagg said "Frost giants make sense, but one man does not."

"I'll stay here." Hawkeye said, backing up with his arrow still drawn. No one objected, nor was surprised.

* * *

Branches snapped and slashed their faces as Loki and Red Skull ran through the trees. The red mutant could almost feel the hot fury racing behind him. When he glanced back, his eyes weren't fearful, although he had to be uneasy. They were delighted.

However, as soon as he faced forward again, he was struck with shocking strength from the side. It took him a moment to come to his sense and realize that his face ached from the blow.

Loki stood in front of him, eyes glaring.

Red Skull got to his feet as the God of Mischief approached him.

"You're talented, I'll say that." Red Skull said, smiling.

Loki didn't waste time with words; he simply dove forward with the blade. Red Skull caught his arm in mid swing, but the other knife slashed across his cheek. His head snapped to the side with a pained growl.

"You would think you'd be better, considering all the time you spend there." Loki said darkly, stepping back towards him.

"He gave you the opportunity of a lifetime." Red Skull replied "And now you'll spend your lifetime rotting in prison because you failed. I suppose a worthy end for a traitor."

Loki half bared his teeth at the man, jaw clenched in anger. He swung again at him, but Red Skull twisted away, ready to face him upright again.

"Loki!" Thor's voice boomed through the trees. Him and Captain America came to a stop a few yards away.

Now the two Asgardian brothers were on either side of the mutant human.

"Loki, stand down." Thor ordered, brandishing his hammer.

"Not until he's dead." Loki responded angrily.

"Or until your 'friends' are." Red Skull responded, the word 'friends' spoken with pure sarcasm. It didn't take long for the rest of them to show up after he'd said these words.

"You surrender willingly now, or we will force you too." Captain America said with his usual serious, calm tone.

Red Skull responded by pulling out a weapon Captain America was all too familiar with; a HYDRA weapon. A weapon powered by the tesseract. Smaller, more compact, but definitely the same thing. The realization was evident on the soldier's face, as he instinctively threw his shield horizontally at his oldest enemy almost as if he were defending a crowd full of citizens.

Red Skull raised an arm to hit the shield away in the opposite direction. The clang when it hit was far too loud for his armor to be anything less than vibranium.

"Never again, Captain." Red Skull said "I am far too prepared for everything that's going to happen here."

"You have no battle to be won here." Thor responded.

"Really?" Red Skull asked, turning the weapon to him.

Loki was already on the move, leaving Thor no opportunity to throw Mjolnir. The God of Mischief leapt at HYDRA's previous leader, wrapping a knife around his neck while twisting to force him to the ground. He had him pinned, one long dagger pressed onto his throat. Oddly, Red Skull wasn't struggling in the slightest. Thor hurried forward, stopping only a few feet from them, ready to continue the fight.

"Enjoy your time in Hel." Loki half whispered this to him, the knife already drawing a hint of blood.

"Loki, don't!" Thor ordered, not wanting their greatest lead to go to waste.

"You've earned a spot at my side." Red Skull responded with a smile, although his eyes were slightly wide "Unfortunately, I think you'll be there before I am."

And just like that, he faded into the ground, leaving Loki to curse in frustration. He stabbed into the ground angrily, as if that could possibly do anything. Everyone stared in disbelief.

"Where did he go?" Captain America demanded, running over to where the God of Mischief knelt.

"They opened a portal. He's gone." Loki replied, pushing off his knee to stand up. He looked around them in the forest for a moment. He was clearly still furious as he turned around, walking in the direction of the house, dagger still grasped in his hand. Thor stared at the ground where Red Skull had disappeared.

"No. I mean, where?" Captain America asked sharply, walking over to his shield quickly "He said others might die today, what did he mean?"

When the God of Mischief didn't reply, Captain America walked after him.

"Loki! Where is he?"

"Do you expect me to know?" Loki snapped back at him. He had clearly been flustered by the appearance of Red Skull.

"If he's still on Earth then everyone is in danger." Captain America said.

Loki rolled his eyes away slightly as he continued back towards the house.

"He came back to the exact. Same. Place." Captain America said angrily "There's something else going on here."

"Well, we already knew that." Loki replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"What is it?" Captain America asked.

"I already explained that people like him want the scepter." Loki replied, his eyes narrowed as if speaking to child.

"Anyone would know that one man isn't going to be enough." Captain America said "And I know you know that."

"He's more than just a man now." Loki replied.

"He should have died when when the tesseract went off next to him." Captain America said.

"You should know by now that the tesseract has much more capabilities than simply killing." Loki responded.

"You knew him, he spoke to you like an old friend." Captain America said aggressively "How do you know him?"

"I don't need to tell you anything about it." Loki said.

"I think you do. You better explain. Now." Captain America said, stepping closer to him.

Loki held up a blade right in front of the soldiers face, the hand grasping it twisted to the side "You threaten me and you're going to have a whole different kind of fight on your hands." he said darkly.

A shocked Captain America leaned back slightly from it instinctively as Thor walked over and pushed between.

"Whoa whoa whoa." Tony said, holding out both hands.

"Both of you stop." Thor growled. Volstagg and Fandral had joined him a moment before, kneeling by the spot where Red Skull had disappeared, but were now on their feet in alarm. Everyone else moved forward warily.

"Loki, put it down." Thor said, looking straight at his younger brother intently. He knew if a fight broke out now, he would have to intervene and that was the last thing he wanted right now. He knew from experience that Loki was much stronger than he looked.

Everyone seemed to hold their breaths for a moment as they waited tensely. The God of Mischief remained where he was for several moments, staring at Captain America with razor sharp eyes. It was clear he badly wanted to ignore Thor. Then after a second more of waiting and with clear reluctance, he slowly lowered his weapon. Captain America regarded him warily, but with a new found respect that hadn't been there before. Loki continued to look at him with narrowed eyes.

"How do you know him?" Captain America asked, his voice even, but not friendly.

Loki didn't reply right off and for a moment they weren't sure if he was going to or not.

"We met. Many years ago. And if it wasn't blatantly obvious, we're not friends."

"Where did he come from?" Captain America asked.

"That I can't know." Loki responded. Captain America scowled slightly at him, but he didn't have time to protest.

"He was provoking a fight." Tony said, walking over "I mean, he's just one guy. Even if we didn't have Gods here, we'd still be more than he could handle alone."

"Don't count on that." Loki muttered under his breath and then spoke in a louder tone "He wanted me to follow him."

"So you did?" Captain America asked seriously, tilting his head forward.

Loki's eyes flicked over to him "Well, being who I am it's a little harder to fool me. He didn't count on that fact that I'd actually be able to kill him. Unfortunately, I can't control where they open their portals. Obviously they had an escape route planned."

"That means they know how to control them." Thor said grimly.

"Barely." Loki replied.

"You keep saying 'they' like you know who you're talking about." Captain America said "Do you?"

Loki glanced at him with the barest hint of contempt, but he didn't say anything.

"Loki, do you know who that man is working with?" Thor asked plainly.

The God of Mischief pointedly kept his eyes low, although it wasn't all too hard to notice the small gleam of satisfaction.

"Loki?" Thor asked, his voice growing slightly more wary. Finally his younger brother looked at him.

"Someone well beyond your reach." Loki replied.

Several of the people there shared a look, before every eye landed back on him. There was something just a bit too sly about his tone.

"Who is it?" Thor asked. He knew the only time Loki would have met Red Skull was his time in the Void. And they all knew what had happened after that.  
Loki leaned his head forward, eyes narrowed to slits.

"That kind of information comes with a price."

The forest went silent. Thor blinked as he stared at him. He'd been dreading this moment for a while now. Volstagg held his breath, eyes weary.

"You're not in a position to bargain here." Thor replied tensely.

"Oh, I think I am." Loki responded. He suddenly appeared much more calm. He let out a smug sigh, moving his head along with it "And while I'm fully aware Odin isn't above torture, I know that you are. Although, the great king would probably abstain from it this time. And even if he didn't, well, you'll find that I'm fairly well versed in it. You'd lose anything I have to offer forever." he paused a moment, looking at Thor with raised eyebrows "You don't have another option."

"What exactly do you know?" Volstagg asked.

"Enough." Loki responded without turning to him.

"And you haven't told us this whole time?" Captain America asked. He wasn't particularly surprised, but someone had to say it.

"I didn't know. Not until I saw Red Skull." Loki replied, still with a tiny smirk on his face.

"Red Skull?" Volstagg asked. The God of Mischief didn't acknowledge his query.

Thor looked at Loki for a moment, aware that the others eyes were on him. The God of Thunder glanced at the ground before letting out a deep breath and looking back up at his brother.

"What do you want?"

"We're not really going to start there are we?" Loki asked. Volstagg rolled his eyes, clearly not able to stand this anticipation.

"What are you suggesting?" Captain America asked, but he was practically ignored.

Thor walked over to Loki, teeth clenched as he leaned in towards him.

"Loki, what are you doing?" he said softly, but angrily "If you know what's going on, then tell us. Tell us now. You're not going to help yourself by making father any angrier. Who is that man working for and why did he come here?"

Loki turned his head with a bit of sarcasm "I think it might be best if I spoke to the great Allfather himself. Not through you." he continued to look at Thor as his older brother leaned back away, eyes in a conflicted scowl. The God of Thunder stared into Loki's cruelly triumphant eyes with frustration.

"You know you can't be set free." he said under his breath.

"That's not my problem." Loki replied darkly.

Thor turned away from him angrily. He remained there for several seconds before facing the others.

"We will travel to Asgard." he said definitively.

 **My theory is that pretty much anyone who was ever bad in the universe is somehow connected to Thanos, including Red Skull. When he was blasted away by the tesseract, he met He Who Must Not Be Named and, well, joined him.**  
 **Please review, that chapter was hard. Just a reminder that EVERYTHING is planned in this story. :) I rarely surprise myself. Except when I do, then that is my best writing.**

 **The reviews are falling behind and I NEED them! Please, if you like the story, REVIEW! :DDDDDD!**


	15. The Dangerous Truth

Thor walked into the middle of the field, hammer hanging from his hand. His steps indicated that he rather anxious at the moment. Loki was right behind him, eyes narrowed as he took light steps after his brother. They had returned to the house to get Hawkeye and found it all quiet, as if Red Skull had never appeared.

Thor looked at the others, who were all standing around him "The Bifrost will carry us straight there. Do not move or there is a chance you will fall out into the Void."

Loki looked at Thor questioningly as he spoke to the rest of the Avengers.

"You're going to take them to Asgard?" Volstagg asked incredulously.

"You will stay here with Hogun." Thor replied, without answering his question "Since this appears to be the place they attack."

"I think I'll stay too." Tony said, pointing at the ground "I've had enough experience flying out of this world for a lifetime."

"I never thought you'd be the one to turn this down." Hawkeye said, glancing at him. Then he looked at Thor "Why are _we_ going to Asgard?"

"So we can find out the truth." Thor growled. He looked at Loki with clear disdain and his younger brother returned it, his face bitter and satisfied.

"Heimdall. Open the Bifrost." Thor ordered.

"Wait a second." Captain America said, but the light was already surrounding them.

Suddenly, they were flying through the air. Loki and Thor were right next to each other, gazing up as if expecting to see Asgard at the top. The rainbow light whooshing past them was beautiful, but having been given the orders from the God of Thunder not to move, they were all completely still, eyes wide.

* * *

Heimdall stood on the pedestal, face stoic as he watched the spinning vortex in front of him. One by one, the travelers appeared. First Thor, and then Loki. The rest came in quick succession before Heimdall pulled the sword out with a clang.

Captain America was looking around, rather stunned.

"You return." Heimdall said, looking at all of the others with serious eyes "The Allfather will not be pleased. Mortals were not meant to trespass on other realms."

"They are here on my authority. Odin will listen." Thor replied.

"That was close to the weirdest thing I've ever experienced." Tony said offhandedly.

Heimdall was looking Loki, yellow eyes neutral as two guards approached from the entrance of the Bifrost, apparently already aware that they would have guests. They walked immediately over to Loki, manacles in their grasp. After a heartbeat of a pause, the God of Mischief held out his wrists and allowed the guards to place the shackles around them. He said nothing to them, even though he knew that everyone else was watching.

"Let's go." Thor said lowly, taking his eyes off his brother and heading out of the dome. Loki followed suit, hands shackled so they remained in front of him rather than at his sides.

As they started walking, Banner leaned over to Hawkeye.

"They cuff him here, but not on Earth?" he asked quietly.

* * *

The Avengers walked into the massive room filled with columns and lined with guards. Thor strode into the palace with ease. Loki's expression was hard and slightly bitter. although he appeared just as confident walking down the hall.

One of the guards stood by the throne, a small staff in his hand. He inclined his head.

"My prince. You seek the Allfather?"

"Yes." Thor replied "We need to speak with him. Where is he?"

"He dwells in his chambers." the guard replied. His eyes scanned the mortals with concern "I will summon him for you."

"Thank you." Thor said and the guard bowed his head again before leaving.

Everyone looked around the spacious room and the vaulted ceiling. Except Loki, whose eyes remained on the floor in front of him.

It didn't take long for the king of Asgard to appear. Gungnir was in his hand as he stood at the seat of the throne, head erect. The warriors lowered their heads respectfully.

"Thor." Odin said, his voice echoing off the walls. He didn't sound happy in the slightest "Why have you brought them here? Asgard is not a place for mortal beings."

"I am aware." Thor responded "But we need to speak with you."

"I think we have a bigger problem then where we belong or not." Hawkeye muttered quietly enough so that no one could hear him. Even so, Odin looked at him.

"What have you found out?" he asked. Obviously, Heimdall had said something to him. He looked at Loki, who stared back with a calm challenge in his eyes.

Thor glanced at his brother as well, unwilling to speak for him this time.

"Loki." Odin said "You have something to say."

Loki leaned forward, eyebrows up "Do I? There is a bargain to be made first, I believe."

"There will be no bargain." Odin responded.

"Then there will be no exchange of information." Loki replied sharply, eyes narrowed. The air had quickly grown cold.

"You are forgetting your place." Odin said, taking a few steps down from the throne "You are not immune to the punishments of treachery, Loki, and certainly not the means of getting information. I will return you to that cell and leave you there for the rest of your life. Thor granted you relief from your solitude. I can reverse that. Prisoners have no rights."

"Oh I'm well aware." Loki responded quietly. He turned his head slightly "Unfortunately Odin, you raised me to think for myself. Even if you return me to my cell, sooner or later you'll need my knowledge and you'll return to the dungeon."

"You value what you know too highly." Odin said.

Loki held back a smile "As far as you know."

"Enough. Hush your wit." Odin said, with a hint of warning.

"I have nothing more to say. Return me to the dungeons. Or better yet, kill me. Quite honestly, that might be more merciful at this point." Loki said, walking forward slowly, eyes intense "But if you choose to do so, Odin, that would be a very poor example of the love for the nine realms you claim to care about."

Thor took a few steps after his brother, eyes anxious "Loki, stop."

"I would heed his words." Odin said, peering at his son with narrowed eyes "We will discuss this elsewhere. Loki, follow me to my chambers."

"You would rather trade insults in private?" Loki asked scathingly.

"Loki, please." Thor muttered warningly.

"You have your terms and I have mine. No one else needs to be present." Odin responded, eyes still on Loki.

"It'll be a short debate." Loki said bitterly, staring at him, but he walked forward. Two Asgardian soldiers followed him as Thor watched with solemn eyes.

"Father..." he said.

"You remain here." Odin said, glancing at him. He picked up his staff and went after his adopted son.

Captain America looked over at Thor once he was gone.

"He can't let Loki out." he said, his voice incredulous.

"He won't." Thor replied.

"He'll come up with some sort of ruse, a ploy, you know that." Sif said.

"And you don't think Odin can see through them?" Thor asked angrily, glancing at her. He didn't seem the least bit worried about what Loki was going to demand.  
Sif blinked, seeming a bit put off by his harsh response.

"We need what he knows." Thor said a bit quieter "Odin understands that."

"What if it turns out to be something worthless and he's just fooling us into giving him something?" Banner asked, waving his glasses "It could be something we already know."

"He knew...Red Skull." Captain America said, clearly in deep thought as he stared at the ground "And Red Skull knew him. That alone is a big problem."

Thor looked after where the two of them had disappeared grimly.

"Thor. I know he's your younger brother, but you can't protect him anymore. Loki's fate is in his own hands. He'll make his own decisions." Fandral said without looking at the God of Thunder.

"He's too stubborn to let it go." Thor replied. He pointed a finger at the floor "Loki will push Odin until he's completely unreasonable and he'll put Loki back in prison. Then we'll lose his help and we still won't have what we need."

Captain America let out a deep breath, glancing over at Tony and Hawkeye. Tony waited a moment before speaking.

"Well, at least while we wait, you could give us the grand tour." he said.

"Do you ever think before you speak?" Hawkeye asked dryly, glancing at him.

"Yes." Tony responded, face intentionally serious "Really, if I didn't hang around with this group, you'd all be on anti-depressant meds by now."

"Hang around? You're the one who called us all in." Hawkeye replied.

"Right, so I was choosing to be around you." Tony said, waving his hand to stress the words.

"We're all so happy you're here." Black Widow said with a faint smile. It immediately left her face though.

"Alright, I'm going to eliminate the sarcasm from that sentence and just take it as a compliment." Tony replied "I trust the old king, he will deal with Loki."

Thor and Captain America didn't join in the lighthearted argument with them. They were both waiting impatiently for Odin and Loki to reappear.

"So, who's Red Skull?" Fandral asked. Captain America glanced at him, arms folded.

"He was the head of HYDRA." he responded "It was a terrorist organization on Earth. They used the tesseract to create weapons and tried to use those weapons to force humans to comply. It started in Germany and just got worse from there. I thought the tesseract killed Red Skull a long time ago, but it looks like I was wrong. It must have...teleported him or something." Captain America looked at Thor "Loki and him spoke as if neither of them were in charge. As if Red Skull answered to someone else."

Thor let out a deep breath, but he didn't have any words to respond so he just nodded.

"You realize time isn't on our side, right?" Captain America asked "That man could still be on Earth. And if he is, he'll make it known."

"I know." Thor responded with a slightly anxious scowl.

Captain America didn't say anything else after that and the group descended into silence. When ten more minutes passed, Tony started pacing back back and forth. He didn't speak up, but it was obvious everyone else was thinking the same thing. If all else failed, they would have to let Loki free. And yet, that wasn't an option.  
Although Thor had learned to be more patient after his banishment, he definitely still needed some practice. He wanted to know what was happening in there. What Odin was saying. What they could possibly be debating.

Another fifteen minutes passed without a word from any of the guards. Thor's arms were folded and he stared at the ground blankly. He wished Odin would have allowed him in there. He was good at being the mediator between the two of them.

Ten more minutes lapsed by and most of them were on the verge of speaking. But they stayed quiet, as if a few more minutes would solve the problem.

"At least we'll know right away if Earth is no longer there when we try to return." Tony said.

"That's not funny." Captain America replied in irritation.

"I know. I wasn't being funny." Tony said.

"Heimdall is keeping watch. He will know if there is an attack on Earth." Thor said, one hand extended with the palm down in an irritated gesture.

Footsteps from in front of him made the God of Thunder turn his head. Two guards walked down the hall and Odin appeared after. Loki was not with them.  
Thor walked over quickly, the question rising to his lips.

"Loki will tell us what he knows." Odin announced before he could say anything.

Thor blinked in shock, stopping dead.

"What happened?" he asked in disbelief.

"We reached an agreement." Odin responded. The others shared a glance, eyes flicking back and forth.

"How?" Thor asked in shock.

"Loki has no desire to return to the dungeons, that much is obvious. In the end, he did seek his freedom." Odin said "He thought that was the only thing he wanted. I showed him that it was not."

"What did you give him?" Thor asked.

"That does not matter." the king said "Follow me. It would be best if all of you are present to hear what he has to say."

If Thor wasn't surprised enough, Odin inviting mortals into his personal chambers was sure to tie the knot. The God of Thunder hesitated a moment before following his father.

When they entered the room, Loki was facing the balcony away from them. When he glanced back, his hands were still chained and his eyes were narrowed. Thor stared at him, trying to see if he could read what was in those eyes. Unfortunately, there was no obvious emotion in them.

"In the bounds of our covenant, Loki, you will tell us what you know." Odin admonished.

Loki tilted his head, squinting at him. Obviously him and Odin hadn't improved their relationship one bit.

"It might be best if we begin with a question." Loki responded coldly.

Odin looked over at Thor and the God of Thunder was all too happy to oblige.

"What do you know about the man who came to Earth?" he asked, staring at his brother intently while pushing away his curiosity.

"They call him Red Skull." Loki replied. He spoke shortly, as if he wished this was over "I don't know the details of his time on Earth before this other than he used the tesseract to create weapons."

"When did _you_ meet him?" Captain America asked. He had been waiting for this.

Even though Loki's demeanor didn't change dramatically, it was obvious it would be better if Thor asked the questions.

"I met him after my swift departure from Asgard." the God of Mischief replied, his voice laced with a bit of sarcasm. Odin's head turned to the side ever so slightly as if wary of deception.

"He was in a foreign realm." Loki continued "One that none of you would have heard of."

"Why did he come to Earth?" Thor asked. He took a step forward "Loki, I know there is a much bigger picture here. We're wasting time."

"He most likely came to Earth because the scepter is hidden there, if I haven't already made that clear." Loki responded.

"But you've never told us why." Captain America replied.

"They gave it to me." Loki said with quiet anger as he looked at the soldier for several seconds "It's a powerful weapon, not unlike the ones you've seen before."

"They? Who is they?" Captain America asked.

Loki paused for a moment, clearly rethinking all that he wanted to tell them.

"Red Skull serves someone called Thanos." he said finally.

Odin's eyebrows furrowed for a second and Thor glanced over at him. The others shared looks amongst themselves, wondering if anyone was familiar with the name.

"His title is the God of Death." Loki continued grimly "He sent Red Skull to Earth to scout out potential problems. They want the scepter."

"And you knew they were doing this before?" Captain America asked, face much more sober now. He had no idea that the red-faced mutant was the least of his worries now.

"I didn't. Not until Red Skull showed up." Loki responded coldly. Of course, that was partly a lie.

"Is the scepter all they want?" Thor asked, his voice full of disbelief "A being that has achieved the status God of Death has certainly done something to earn it."

Loki stopped once again. Odin was staring at him, his mind clearly going a million directions at once.

"Loki." Thor said.

The God of Mischief's eyes moved to him, the emotion still slightly contemptful.

"No. If I were to speculate, he has a much bigger plan in place. But it begins with the scepter. That is among the more powerful objects he once possessed."

"And what does he plan to do once he gets it back?" Thor asked, still rather patiently, despite the fact that getting these answers was like dragging a cat out of a bag. Slow, frustrating, and worst of all, seemingly painful for the cat. Loki in this case.

"Can you think of nothing?" his younger brother asked.

"I can think of plenty." Tony replied with a few nods.

"He didn't start with Earth and he won't end with Earth." Loki said.

"So, what? Universal domination?" Tony asked "Because I can sure as hell guarantee that there are plenty of other people willing to fight just like us."

"And you'll find double the amount willing to fight with him." Loki responded sharply, suddenly sounding angry "You think the Chitari were an army? You should imagine millions of others much more brilliant than them attacking any of the realms they please. Beings like Red Skull. Smart. Cunning. They won't show mercy, they won't leave survivors and all your precious protections would quail before them. Before you underestimate him, you should imagine billions upon billions of your people dead."

Tony stared back at him, quieted.

"You don't know who you're up against. You have no idea." Loki added darkly "I take it you were surprised by the random appearance of that man today? You'll never see the rest of them coming."

"What kind of beings fight by his side?" Thor asked.

"Ones like Red Skull." Loki repeated "And entire races you have never heard of. Ones that truly are only bloodthirsty monsters that enjoy killing. Frost giants are nothing compared to them." he looked at Odin "Asgard might find a new hatred besides Jotunheim."

Odin was staring at him gravely.

"And he is taking matters into his own hands now, why? Why didn't he come before?" Sif asked pointedly.

"You think he hasn't been planning this? I'll ask you a return question. Why didn't the frost giants come and slaughter everyone on Asgard a thousand years ago?" Loki countered "Because they couldn't. They had no way to get here. Not everyone has the blessing of choosing where they want to go at any given moment."

"But they're learning how to open the portals now." Banner said, waving a hand as the dots connected. His voice was calming compared to the rest of them.

"They've finally become powerful enough." Loki said.

"Do you think the frost giants are involved in this?" Odin asked, speaking for the first time.

"Why? You actually wish they were all dead now?" Loki asked sarcastically.

"Loki." Odin said warningly.

"Odin." The God of Mischief replied with equal contempt.

"Is Thanos employing their help or not?" Odin asked again.

"You expect me to know that?" Loki asked.

"I'm asking what you think." Odin responded.

"No. If they were, they would not be attacking randomly." Loki said. He seemed reluctant to give his thoughts directly to Odin "Obviously they don't know how to control the portals well. They have only weakened them."

"That much I can sense." Odin responded. He looked at the ground, jaw twisting slightly as he thought.

"Do they all follow his command?" Thor asked quietly.

"To their dying breath." Loki replied.

"So, what do we do?" Captain America asked, looking around in exasperation "There's got to be something we can do to prevent this. This isn't just the end of the universe as we know it." he looked at the God of Mischief "Loki?"

"I've spoken my piece." Loki replied and Captain America half glared at him.

"There is no immediate threat." Odin responded, his commanding voice silencing the rest of the mutterings as Gungnir banged on the ground.

"With all due respect, my king." Fandral said, arm hovering in the respectful motion across his chest "The Frost Giants came to Earth with intentions to kill. Mortals stand no chance against them."

"That is why you are there." Odin responded. He looked at the others "We can deal with the Jotuns. Until the bigger threat arises, they are to be your main concern."  
"We have a bigger threat." Captain America said "He came to Earth less than an hour ago."

"Do you have any evidence that this man remains on Earth?" Odin asked, his voice calm. The silence answered him, although Captain America was well prepared for a debate.

"Heimdall will keep a watchful eye on Earth." Odin went on before any arguing could commence "If that man is there, or he returns, we will send word. Let this be Asgard's concern. You are the protectors of Midgard, not the protectors of the realms. That burden does not fall to you. If and when the frost giants return, we will find a way to close these portals ourselves. It is the only way we will be able to stop more undesirable beings from entering."

"We can't spend the eternities blocking them from coming." Tony pointed out "They'll find a way eventually."

"We will do what we must until we can do more." Odin responded "Loki." He looked at the hidden frost giant "You will remain on Earth to warn them of oncoming threats. I admonish you to be honest if something should be revealed that you find useful."

Loki returned his gaze, his face full of amused contempt. He leaned forward.

"It'll be an _honor_ to carry out your orders." he said with cold sarcasm "I advise you to hold up your end of the bargain. Or you may find yourself with a lack of warning."

He inclined his head with mock respect before turning away from them. The two Asgardian soldiers followed him as he left the room. Odin did not stop him, but his eyes followed him all the way out.

"Father." Thor ventured.

Odin looked at the ground, leaning heavily on his staff.

"This is worse than I feared." he said quietly "Much worse. I thank Valhalla Loki came to a compromise."

"Do you know of this being named Thanos?" Thor asked immediately.

"I had always hoped it was not true. I am familiar with the name. And the title. The fact that Loki mingled among them is deeply unsettling. I always suspected that he had been..." Odin shook his head slightly as he faded off. He turned his eyes to his eldest son "Thanos is a dark being. He will not be satisfied with one realm; he wants them all."

"Do you believe all that he told you?" Thor asked cautiously.

"It is reasonable to assume that Thanos would have followers, but if Loki is not lying then that means he has an army. A battalion."

"What do you want us to do?" Thor asked.

"Just as I said. Return to Earth. Protect it. Let me deal with the rest. I will call you when you are needed here." Odin responded. Captain America blinked, as if he wanted to object.

"What did you give him that made him willing to speak so freely?" Thor asked.

"A number of things." Odin replied "I too am astounded by the amount he revealed. He is no fool. Loki is fully aware that by telling us even a portion of those things, he has signed his death sentence."

Thor blinked, eyes shocked "What do you mean?" he looked after where Loki has disappeared "Then you would send him back to Earth? Where he will be exposed?"

"This coming from the man who claimed he had no brother left to love." Odin countered, although his voice was gentler "There is no danger at this moment. Either way, I suspect Loki would rather die out there, than within the confines of his cell."

"I have no intentions of letting him be killed." Thor responded with a hint of anger. His fist tightened on the handle of Mjolnir.

"Peace, my son." Odin said "Loki is fully capable of defending himself, he would not take kindly to you trying to do it for him. He will be safe. However." Odin's voice became more stern "You are still not to place trust in him. In all honesty, I don't know why he did not ask for something when you originally came to him, nor why he continues to offer his assistance cooperatively. I do know that he is more cornered than ever and that is when he is most unpredictable. Now." he looked at the others for a moment before back at Thor.

"We must call the rest of the warriors. It's time you were sent off properly."


	16. Quiet Mourning

The sun was setting on the distance horizon, sending a beautiful stream of orange across the water. Tony and Hawkeye were looking out across it as they waited. Captain America was clearly too agitated to join them. Right now there were a lot of other Asgardians gathering in the street.

"So does this send off include us, or just the Asgardians?" Tony asked off-handedly. He sniffed "Probably just the Asgardians I would guess."

"I don't think we're even supposed to be here." Hawkeye responded. He smiled slightly "Loki isn't the only disobedient son apparently."

"Where he get off to?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. Hopefully he's with Thor and the others or we're all in trouble." Hawkeye responded. He glanced at Tony "Do you believe him? About Thanos or whoever?"

Tony's eyes flicked back and forth "Were we not supposed to?"

"Probably not. But I do." Hawkeye replied "I wish I didn't."

"Yeah, well, now might be a good time to let the rest of the world in on it." Tony said. He had to talk just a bit louder because of all the noise from the crowd. He was going to speak again when we was drowned out by a loud horn.

* * *

Thor swung himself up onto his horse and guided it around in a circle until it faced the other way. Generally when him and his friends were sent off, they were joking and teasing one another, but not now. The warriors sensed this was not the time. Even so, they did try once or twice.

Thor looked over at the horse near the gate. This horse had no rider, although it was bridled and ready to go.

A palace guard walked through the gate, his helmet off.

"They are ready for you, Prince Thor." he said.

Thor nodded at him and the warriors fell in formation behind him. The loud horn blew and celebratory music followed it.

The horses walked out swiftly into the crowd of cheering citizens. The warriors waved as they passed, smiles covering their faces. Clearly they had missed this.

Thor, previously the most arrogant, was riding silently, his face serious. He had invited Loki to join them, but the God of Mischief had declined. Even so, his horse had been prepared and Thor was off center in the formation, leaving an empty space where his younger brother used to ride. It didn't seem intentional, but something he naturally had done in the past.

Loki was near the end, watching with expressionless eyes, before he looked down at his book again. The other Avengers had just noticed him as well. Silent, not cheering, just simply there. None of them commented on it though.

Near the end, Thor finally gave a wave to the wanting crowd, symbolizing that they had nothing to fear. Asgard was protected.

* * *

"Well we haven't done that in a long time, I almost forgot what it felt like." Volstagg said joyously.

"I agree, it is enjoyable." Fandral replied, tucking his long, thin sword back into its guard "Generally though, we are heading off to war. It almost seems disappointing."

"There will be war, never fear that." Volstagg admonished.

The other Avengers had joined them back in the large hall, where the warriors voices were echoing loudly. Loki wasn't with them but his guards were on the opposite end. Thor was walking over to them across the room. They both stood there, arms hanging at their sides, eyes expectant at his approach.

"Where is Loki?" Thor asked "We need to return to Midgard."

"The prisoner is in his old chambers." one of them replied.

Thor blinked, his head turning slightly.

"The king granted him access to Queen Frigga's private quarters." the guard explained "I saw no reason not to allow him in his chambers as well."

Thor hesitated a moment before nodding at him. He had already said goodbye to his father. However unfortunate, it was time to leave.

* * *

Loki stared at the room he had been in so many times as a child. His mother's quarters had always been so calming. He often went there to get away from Thor or even for his magic lessons.

But now, it was silent. His guards had remained outside. After all, he was shackled with powerful cuffs. He has already picked up a book. It wasn't old; probably only read a few times. Loki hadn't read that one, but he knew Frigga had. For a few more moments, he looked up at the vaulted ceiling and over towards the balcony doors. Then he turned to leave the room.  
As he walked out, his guards said nothing, not even about the book. Loki spoke briefly with the taller of the two. He inclined his head to the former prince and motioned for the other guard to follow him. Loki walked behind them until they reached his old quarters. The doors were very large and not very far away from Thor's. The God of Mischief placed his hand on the door and opened it. As he walked in, he noticed that nothing had really changed. Not that he could remember everything exactly as he left it. Loki ran his hands over the very tidy line of books on his desk before selecting one. His room was always neat and clean, just how he liked it.  
He flipped through the pages for a moment before replacing it and taking another. He held this one next to the one from Frigga's room.

Loki glanced over at the large bed that was furnished with many decorative pillows and blankets. After a moment, he walked over to it. He fingered the blanket near the end for a moment thoughtfully.

Then he heard Thor approaching and immediately stopped. He glanced behind him as his older brother stopped to look at him solemnly.

The God of Mischief didn't speak, but he walked over, not needing Thor to tell him they were leaving. His older brother was so close to speaking to him but remained silent, although he wasn't sure what held him back.

Loki walked up to his guards and held out his hands. One of them reached forward and removed the manacles with a click. They lifted them off his arms and Loki turned back to Thor, both books still in his hand. His eyebrows were up, shielding any emotion from coming across his face.

 **PLEEEEEASE review! I LOOOOVVVE THEM :)))**


	17. Terrors in the Past

Loki turned to the next page on his book, fingers hovering above the middle of the page. He was standing outside as Thor and the other Avengers had a rather serious conversation. Even though Thor tried to deny the privacy of it, Loki and the other warriors were never included in them. Not that really mattered to them, but Volstagg was certainly getting a bit peeved.

"I think you're just used to being Thor's confidant." Fandral said in amusement. He was cleaning his sword rather obsessively at the moment as if he wanted to be able to see his face at any given moment. He glanced at his friend with a small smile "Don't worry, I'm sure once this passes he'll return to Asgard for the next little while. You can have conversations with him then."

"Fandral, keep quiet, or you're going to have to clean that sword of your blood." Volstagg replied, pointedly.

"I don't think even blood could stain it now." Sif said.

"Precisely." Fandral responded with a cheeky smile "Volstagg, if you want to know the truth of it, I don't think that the Captain." He blinked and then rolled his eyes slightly "Or whatever they call him, really likes the idea of waiting."

"Well, they don't need to talk about that. Odin ordered them to and that's the end of it." Volstagg responded. He had been filled in from the talks on Asgard so he was well aware of what they were meant to do.

"He's not their king." Fandral replied "Although I must admit, they spoke rather openly to him." he pointed a finger up "That was a bit worrisome at points."

Inside, their muffled voices could be heard by the group all gathered in the living room. Tony was in a chair, slouching to a comfortable position.

"Personally, I think waiting is a fabulous idea." he said, echoing Volstagg's thoughts "Then we'll die and we don't have to do any work before hand."

"No one needs die, we're just waiting until we have more information." Thor said "Asgard does not have the power to send us to an unknown realm."

"So then what does your father plan on doing about Thanos?" Captain America asked.

"You mean the God of Death?" Tony asked with raised eyebrows. He pulled out a clear pad, about the size of a cell phone and swiped his fingers across it a few times.

"He and Heimdall will work to find out if Heimdall is simply blind to those areas that Loki mentioned. If not, then we will gain a great advantage over them." Thor replied.

"Alright, but these portals are still opening." Captain America said.

"We will control whatever happens." Thor replied.

"I think we need to go after Red Skull." Captain America said "He disappeared once and I assumed he was no longer a threat."

"And you don't want to make that mistake again, we get it, but we have no idea if he's still on Earth." Hawkeye pointed out.

"Yes, we do." Tony said, standing up. He looked at Thor, eyes concerned "Get them in here, we all need to see this."

Thor scowled for a moment in confusion. He walked over and spoke something out to the others.

Tony walked over to his bigger screen just as they all started to come in the door. Loki slowly shut his book, remaining closer to the door than the others.

Tony flipped the pad at the board, as if flinging the words straight from the mini screen. A live news report appeared.

"...suffering from the devastating effects of what seem to be a terrorist attack." the female reporter said "Four New York citizens are dead after an explained explosion went off in a residential area. Eyewitnesses report seeing a blue light before an apartment building was partially collapsed. Several others were injured in the attack and are being treated at the local hospital. First responders say that a tall man with red face paint was seen leaving the site afterwards, but he has yet to be identified. More reports to come, please stay tuned-"

Tony waved it off and turned to the others, his face finally in a grim frown.

"Call it a hunch, but I think it's safe to say he's still on Earth." he said.

"Thor?" Captain America asked, looking at him. There was a question in his tone.

The God of Thunder glanced at him quickly, face deep in thought.

"If he's here, that means Heimdall cannot see him. This should not be possible because Heimdall can see everything that is happening on Earth."

"Perhaps his attention is diverted elsewhere." Volstagg said, but there was no conviction behind it.

"We need to get out there." Captain America said, walking over to the kitchen. He picked up his shield just as Thor spoke again.

"Loki." he was looking at his younger brother. Loki glanced up at him.

"When you let frost giants onto Asgard, how did they escape Heimdall's watch?" Thor asked. He shook his head slightly "And I'm not asking to start an argument, I'm asking because Red Skull seems to be doing the same thing."

Loki stared back at his anxious adopted brother in silence.

"It's a shrouding enchantment. Forgive me if I don't reveal the details of my methods." he responded coldly.

"But Red Skull doesn't have magic." Captain America said.

Loki scowled slightly "As far as you know. However, there are likely many dark talsmins that can cloak people. And if you haven't deduced it already, Heimdall can't any see portals or pathways so he won't be able to help you there."

"Well, that's not true." Volstagg rebuked instantly "Heimdall controls the Bifrost. Do you think we're ignorant?"

Loki stared at him as if he were just barely hanging on to an insult. Then after a controlled blink he said:

"The Bifrost is not a pathway. Pathways are unknown breaks in the realm borders." he tilted his head "So, yes, you are indeed ignorant."

Volstagg's brow furrowed, but he didn't pursue it to regain his pride.

"You realize, if we go there to find him, we will be announcing the problem to the world." Hawkeye said, glancing at him.

"It looks like he already has." Captain America said.

"I agree with him on this one, we don't have a choice." Tony said, pointing a thumb at Captain America.

"So are you calling in the local authorities or what?" Banner asked, waving an arm slightly "I mean, chances are he's not still there. We'll need some help finding him."

"Based on that." Caltain America said, pointing at the screen "We should be able to find him wherever he goes."

* * *

"Of course." Volstagg said, nodding at Thor "We will stay and protect the home." he glanced over towards the front door "Are you taking Loki?"

Thor gave a nod in return "Loki is to remain with me. I suspect he will be useful going against this creature. They obviously have no love for each other. He will sense if and when Red Skull should appear."

"If it's not a ruse." Sif reminded him.

"Loki is under close guard." Thor replied. Although his face didn't show it, his voice was vaguely frustrated.

"Have you told Odin what you are planning to do?" Fandral asked.

"I will leave that up to Heimdall." Thor replied "I will report to my father later. He told us to protect Earth and that is what we will do."

"Very well." Volstagg said "Good luck."

"To you as well, my friends." Thor responded "I hope this won't be difficult."

He turned away from them, Mjolnir grasped firmly in his hand, and walked over to his brother.  
Tony flicked open a pair of sunglasses and put them on. He looked at Thor with a thoughtful scowl.

"Hey guys, we're planning on heading in under the radar, right?" he asked.

"I didn't realize you were capable of doing that." Black Widow responded with a cheeky smile.

"I think he's saying you two might stand out. A little." Hawkeye said, speaking to Thor and Loki. He didn't even bother to look up from his arrows he was sorting.

"Yeah, you might want to try just a little bit more... humanly clothing." Tony added casually.

Thor blinked and didn't do anything for a moment. Then he glanced at Loki and back again.  
The God of Mischief's eyes narrowed back at his older brother.

"Don't just look at me." he said, his voice disgusted "You can figure that out yourself. It's not as if I can use the hammer, so you don't get to use me. You go make yourself look like a mortal."

Thor turned to face him, expression neutral. He held out his hammer with a small smile.

"Here. You can have it."

That earned a dark glare from Loki and Thor lowered it back down. He looked ahead again for a moment.

"You know, you never made a fuss about it when we were younger. I never heard you ask father for one. You could have."

Loki tilted his head "Um. He's not my father and no I couldn't have. It was always for the worthy son, remember? Even as children."

"You were worthy. You took the throne when father wasn't able." Thor replied. He was remaining in surprisingly good humor despite Loki's attempts to provoke him.

"And yet, the moment you returned home it would have gone straight back to you." Loki said scathingly "Isn't it funny how that works?"

"Mother started teaching you magic long before I got this." Thor responded "Besides, the moment father presented it to me, all I received were lectures from that point on. The very first one being that I had to use it to protect you."

"Oh well thank you, I'm forever in your debt." Loki responded sarcastically. Clearly, Odin had been right when he said Loki didn't enjoy being protected.

When the God of Mischief didn't say anything else, Thor just looked forward calmly.

"Please."

Loki rolled his eyes in pure disgust. However, after a moment, a green light moved over both of them, leaving two very different men moved his chin back slightly, eyebrows up.

The Asgardians long hair had vanished into short, neat cuts and they were both wearing casual, yet attractive clothing.

It was surprising to see Loki was actually just as tall as Thor. With all of their armor on it always made the first born son seem bigger. Thor briefly glanced down at himself, as if having a flashback.

"Alright. Looks like we're ready to go." Black Widow said, still staring at them.

* * *

Construction workers were sweeping away the debris still strewn across the street. The cars were backed up even more than usual as they all tried to make it through the one lane. The partially collapsed building was black on one side, wires and metal rods sticking out from it.

"That look like HYDRA weapon damage to you?" Tony asked. The group was standing across the street a ways down from it. People were continually walking around them and occasionally through them.

"It had to have been him." Captain America said, staring at the damage.

Thor's hands rested on his hips, eyes in a thoughtful scowl. There were reporters standing next to people asking them questions about the events.

"Do you really think he would hang around here? After this?" Hawkeye asked, gesturing up at the building.

"He'll probably want to admire his work." Tony replied.

"Maybe we can ask someone that lived there." Thor said.

"The chances of finding them are close to zero." Hawkeye replied "They'll be with their insurance adjuster."

"Unless they're hanging around." Tony pointed out, gesturing over to a coffee shop near the wreckage. The street was blocked off with barricades and men, but several people were sitting at the coffee shop tables a ways away, watching the clean up. They were pointing ocassionally. A few of them were right at the barricade. Apparently, the government also realized this was more than a terrorist attack.

Thor glanced over at Loki as if to seek his advice, still surprised by how different he looked as a mortal. The God of Mischief didn't acknowledge his look; he was staring right ahead with his arms folded.

"Well, we can always head back there until another news report shows where he is." Tony said, gesturing at the Avengers tower, which was plainly visible even from a few miles.

"Or where he was." Hawkeye added, moving forward out of the way of someone walking past them.

"Again with the depressing attitude." Tony said, flicking a hand at him "We get it. He might not still be here."

Suddenly there was a loud commotion as police officers rushed over to a pair of of women taking photos of the damage. The cameramen for the reporters flipped around to get the conflict on film. They'd just finished interviewing these women only moments earlier.

"Doesn't look like it's just police department." Captain America said, watching the intervention.

"Department of Homeland Security gets jurisdiction over terrorist cases." Hawkeye replied, without looking at any of them "It would be best if we didn't attract their attention."

Two officers spoke to the women for a few minutes as another man shoed away the reporter. Fortunately, the women just backed off, rather speedily actually. The men watched them leave for a few seconds before turning back to their work.

The ladies walked towards the group of low-profile Avengers, obviously rather stunned.

"That was a little weird." the one who had taken the pictures said, sounding disgruntled. She had short blonde hair with dark brown streaks in it and her eyeliner could be seen a block away. Her friend just shrugged, apparently more freaked out by the police encounter than she was. The two of them continued over to a bakery and sat down outside at a round table as if trying to act like nothing had happened.

Tony glanced at Hawkeye and then at the others.

"So they could be eyewitnesses, that doesn't mean they remember what they saw." Black Widow said. She turned around slowly and walked over to one of numerous tables. Taking a seat, she looked up at them and crossed her legs.

"We should ask them anyway." Captain America said, staring at Black Widow with a little bit of annoyance.

She smiled "Sure. I'm just sitting in case this takes a while."

"I would go and talk to her myself, but on the off chance that she knows who I am, it might not help." Tony said. There wasn't any sarcasm in his voice, although it was definitely inferred.

"Yeah, that's the same for any of us." Hawkeye said. Then he glanced at Thor "Except."

The others look over at him one at a time.

"You want to talk to her?" Tony asked, pointing at him. Captain America rolled his eyes.

"If you think that would be the best solution." Thor said.

"If she was there when it happened she might have seen Red Skull." Captain America explained.

"That's a long shot." Hawkeye said "But it's possible."

"What exactly are you gonna say?" Banner asked with a small exasperated laugh "Hey, did you happen to see the red-faced man that blew up this building? Yeah, he's a criminal, do you know where he went?"

"You can just strike up a conversation and swing it around to that." Tony replied "I mean, not all of us are relationship inept."

"I'm just saying you might scare her off." Banner replied, completely ignoring his jibe.

"This guy?" Tony asked, patting Thor on the shoulder "No, he's a teddy bear. Especially without his hammer."

"I will talk to her. Otherwise we're just giving him another chance to get away." Thor replied.

"And we should probably move before we start looking conspicuous." Hawkeye pointed out. He was the first one to move and Tony followed him after a moment.

Thor started walking towards the bakery as Captain America and Banner took a seat beside Black Widow. Loki watched his brother silently, but he was definitely watching him.

The God of Thunder took heavy, determined steps, not uncommon for most Asgardians. He approached them with complete confidence, although his face could have used a smile.

He stopped in front of them and said in a rather abrupt manner:

"Greetings."

Loki gave a sharp intake of breath and the others glanced at him momentarily before looking back at Thor, mouths open similarly to Loki's.

The women with blonde hair jumped about four feet in the air, looking at Thor with wide eyes.

Loki slowly raised a hand to put over his mouth, obviously trying to contain any laughter that should come as Thor continued to speak. Clearly even he had not been expecting that. After a moment, he took his hand off with a steadying breath and leaned towards the others ever so slighty.

"I'm afraid we have chosen the wrong brother." he said evenly, without looking at them.

Hawkeye scratched his neck slightly, lips pressed together and eyes on the ground. The rest of them shared looks between themselves before returning their eyes to Thor.

Both of the girls were smiling at him, but they had a nervous aspect about them. It was obvious he failing miserably. After a moment, the blonde line just shook her head at him. She glanced at her friend pointedly before getting up. Then she looked back at Thor and said something with obvious politeness. Her friend stood up and the two of them walked over into the bakery shop.

Loki's lips were pressed together. When Thor glanced over at them, Loki shook his head slightly. Tony gestured subtly for him to come back.

As the God of Thunder walked over, Loki rose a hand to his mouth, staring at his brother with the first hint of amusement they'd seen in him so far.

"Well done." he said.

Thor just scowled at him in return.

"What, were you hoping to charm them right off?" Loki asked scathingly "This isn't Asgard, Thor, this is Midgard and they have no idea who you are."

"It was successful in the past." Thor replied in irritation "Unlike your unexistant attempts."

"Then you met a very peculiar mortal woman." Loki said, ignoring the insult "You might not want to introduce yourself with the word 'greetings' here."

"Really? Go ahead then, clever brother." Thor replied, holding out a hand towards the bakery in contempt.

Loki gave a triumphant smirk and then he immediately started walking over to the scene of failed flirting. Thor watched him with a furrowed brow as if he hadn't expected Loki to take him up on it.

The rest of the group watched in a awkward concerned silence. Part of them wondered if they should allow Loki to walk away in the middle of New York City. The other part didn't know what to say to the God Avenger standing a foot away from them.

Loki seemed to become one with the crowd for a moment, steps light compared to Thor. He made his way to the round tables and took a seat. He kept his eyes over on the workers cleaning up the rubble.

Thor watched with folded arms, looking more Asgardian than ever, despite his wardrobe.

It took a good five minutes before both of the women came out of the shop with coffee. They were both laughing as if one had just shared a very funny joke, but one could guess what they were really laughing about.

Loki paid them no heed at first, but as they started to walk past him, he did a double take, as if surprised. Then, he stood up.

"I am so sorry to interrupt ladies." he said and they both looked at him warily.

"Weren't you both on the news this morning?" Loki asked, with just the right amount of surprise.

"Oh. Uh, yeah." the blonde one said, her voice echoing his.

"So you were here when that happened?" Loki asked, gesturing vaguely at the scene a ways down.

"Yeah, we both were." the other girl responded, staring at him for just a bit too long. Then she glanced away, blinking several times.

"That's crazy. Wait, wait you weren't in the building were you?" Loki asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Oh no. No way." the blonde one said "If I'd been in there, I'd be dead. My apartment was on the side that collasped."

"That was your building?" Loki asked, the shock sounding completely genuine.

"Yes, I only moved in like a month ago." she replied "But I had a lot of stuff in there that I haven't been able to get to since these people arrived."

"It's just lucky you weren't in there." Loki responded with an obvious smile.

"It really was. Her and I go jogging every day." the blonde said, gesturing at her friend "We were just heading out when it happened. I don't even know if my neighbors are dead or what because they haven't released the names."

"Yeah, that really was terrible wasn't it?" Loki replied with a small shake of his head.

Several yards away, Tony was nodding slowly, eyebrows raised.

"Twenty bucks says he comes out with a date." he said, holding out a hand to Captain America.

Captain America didn't respond to him except for a simple glance at his hand and after a moment, Tony withdrew it.

It wasn't long before Loki walked back in their direction, parting ways with the women. Thor was still scowling at him slightly as he approached. Surprisingly, the God of Mischief's expression was completely stoic now, quite the contrast from a few minutes earlier.  
Instead of speaking to them as he walked by, he indicated that they should keep on moving towards the building wreckage. Thor turned after him, his face a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

"What is it?" he asked, falling into place with Loki.

"They saw him leave this direction. Unfortunately as mortals they were rather vague, but they mentioned they think someone else reported seeing him." Loki's eyes briefly over to the other humans who followed Thor "If one of you want to confirm that."

Tony looked briefly surprised as Loki rarely addressed them, but he was the first one to put out his device.

"He made a scene because he wants us to go after him. He's daring us to find him." Captain America said grimly.

"We'll he's considerate, I'll give him that." Hawkeye replied, glancing back at the wreckage.

Thor didn't said anything yet. In fact, he was still pondering over what Loki had said a few moments before. It was similar, if much more cold, to how they had worked together when they were younger. Loki would get past someone with his sly tongue and then they could charge into battle together.

Unfortunately, his younger brother was already turned away from him. It wasn't like him not to be smug about his success where Thor had failed.

"Yes, just a little ways away from here." Tony said. He glanced up "So what are we doing? Walking? Flying?"

"Just moving, people are going to start noticing." Captain America replied, turning around.

"Uh, wrong way." Tony said, flicking a finger in the other direction.

"How far is it?" Hawkeye asked.

"A few miles. But you can bet he won't be there now. Best be off." Tony replied.

* * *

The spot they were headed to was much less busy than most of New York. Although it was a relief not to have so many citizens around, it definitely made them question why Red Skull had chosen to go there. Ordinary terrorists went for mass casualties.

"Maybe he's making himself at home?" Tony asked, gesturing at one of the abandoned buildings on their right.

Thor kept his eye on Loki, but not to make sure he wasn't escaping for once. The God of Mischief looked far less mortal now that he was scanning the area cautiously.

"Have there been any other reports?" Captain America asked. Tony shook his head.

"You don't suppose that he came out here just to throw us off, do you?" Hawkeye asked, walking up the steps to a building. He had to speak over the cars passing by them.

Captain America glanced at Loki without thinking, a terrible thought entering his mind. He glanced away rather quickly, and luckily, the God was not looking his way.

"Hey, Jarvis, scan the area. See if this bastard is anywhere near." Tony said.

"I'm sure he won't appreciate that." Hawkeye said.

"He doesn't have to." Tony replied "Doesn't take appreciation to find-"

An explosion suddenly sent him flying a few feet away. Rubble from the building landed around him as he winced in pain. Hawkeye and Captain America were both flat on their backs as well.

Thor pushed himself to his feet as Loki rolled to the side to stand up. The human form illusion disappeared, revealing the two Asgardians in all their glory, standing side by side.

"You're doing well to follow the trail." Red Skull spoke, although they could not see him.

Hawkeye grimaced as got to his feet, staring at the smoke enfolding the building.

"Jarvis. Bring the suit." Tony said, breathing hard as he stood up. In a few moments, they all lined up next to each other, staring into the fog.

"Don't go after him." Thor growled at Loki quietly "We'll do it together."

The hidden Jotun gave him a rather cold look, but Thor stared him down for a moment.  
A second later, there was a whoosh of air behind them as Tony's suit shot through the air. Then, with a few clanks it opened and closed around the man.

"Here we go." he said, eyes flicking over the screen "Guys, we've got some thermal radiation, he's in the building. "

"Move in." Captain America replied, taking a few steps forward. He didn't get far before a blue blast careened into his shield, sending him flying backwards.

Tony took off into the air, palms flat as the suit propelled him up in the air.

"Cap, you alright?" he asked over the earpiece.

"Fine." Captain America said, rolling up with a grunt "Just don't let him get away."

"Someone's got to grab his weapon." Hawkeye said, pulling an arrow back and aiming it on the building.

"Come on." Thor said to Loki, walking forward. Out of anyone, including Captain America, they were the least likely to get hurt.

Loki didn't look at his older brother, but he followed him slowly.

"You Gods have yet to realize you're not invinsible." Red Skull said.

"Guys, get out of dodge!" Tony said urgently, taking a sudden dive. About a second later, another shot flew at them. It hit the ground in front of them and sent shards of concrete showering.

Ironman blocked a fair majority of the rather large pieces with a blast from his own suit and Loki waved away the rest with an enhanced wind current.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Black Widow were making their way around the to the side of the building.

"Wish you had that scepter now, don't you? You'd best find it before we do." Red Skull said, walking forward out of the shadow finally. He was smiling over at Loki.

Captain America immediately ran at him, taking a flying leap and preparing to slam down on the man with his shield. Red Skull took one step back and disappeared into thin air, so the soldier took a roll instead. Popping back up, he looked around angrily.

"Where is h-" a sharp hit to the back pushed him forward, knocking the wind out of him.

Red Skull only had a second to gloat before Thor was upon him. The mutant turned just in time to catch the God's arm in mid swing. To his credit, Red Skull seemed to be holding him off for a moment, but Thor ultimately overpowered him. Seeing his weakness, Red Skull let himself be enveloped into a portal again and Thor stumbled forward. He growled, looking up.

"They can control them." he said angrily.

"Get that thing away from him and he won't be nearly as good." Loki responded with nod at where the man had disappeared "It's giving him too much power."

"Really Loki?" Red Skull said as if chastising him. He was now walking from the opposite side, away from Black Widow and Hawkeye "You might not want to divulge further details. For your sake."

Ironman flew down, hovering a few yards above him "And for your sake, I suggest you surrender."

"We already know enough, Red Skull." Thor said with defiance "And you can tell Thanos he won't be invading any worlds unopposed."

Red Skull's eyes widened and he looked at Loki, stunned.

"You...you told them." he said, jaw clenching. For the first time, he finally looked stricken. His eyes blazed.

" _Traitor_!" he snarled.

"So I've been told." Loki responded.

"This goes beyond betraying Asgard." Red Skull said "We may not be friends, but I never thought you would do this. You're going to wish Asgard had held to their law and killed you. At least that would have been quick." he narrowed his eyes, shaking his head slightly "When I tell him..."

"Yes, when you do, make you sure you include the part where I kill you." Loki replied.

"We will see." Red Skull said.

"Yeah good luck with that." Tony said. A bright beam shot from his palm, heading right for the man.

Red Skull immediately fired back and the blast from his weapon completely dissipated the other. In fact, it continued after and Ironman flew upward to avoid it.

Then, a long black arrow punctured the red mutant's hand and he snarled as he jerked it back down. However, he kept ahold of the weapon. Hawkeye lowered his weapon in frustration as the others began to move in. Then he looked down the street behind them. He could hear sirens, a lot of them heading their way already.

Red Skull tore out the arrow angrily and threw it toward Thor with surprising force. Loki was upon him in a second. It was obvious that the two of them had fought before; they knew precisely how to block each other. The God of Michief went for the weapon immediately, but Red Skull caught his arm and twisted it. As Loki slowly began to gain the upperhand in the battle, the once mortal man used his other hand to slash something across Loki's neck. Surprisingly, the God recoiled with a hiss of pain. His hand immediately rose to the spot where a dark blue mark had appeared, his face angry, but there was a hint of foreboding in there as well.

"Frost giant." Red Skull sneered "If you don't use that to your advantage, then it's going to be used against you."

Thor let out an angry growl and flung Mjolnir at him. Red Skull was too slow to react and it hit him squarely in the chest. Ironman fired at him as well, just for good measure. Red Skull flew backwards and smashed into the building debris behind him. The HYDRA weapon fractured and a small wave of energy was released.

Thor looked over at Loki, who still appeared to be a bit unsettled. His eyes were blank as if he were remembering something unpleasant. Then he looked up, blinked, and started walking towards the settling dust. Thor and Captain America followed him.

"Guys we've got police headed this way." Hawkeye said, arrow still drawn and pointed towards the building "We need to get out of here."

"He's not dead." Loki said bluntly.

There was a grunt from Red Skull and he slowly got to his feet. The HYDRA weapon was glowing more brilliantly than before. In fact, it was pulsing like the tesseract had before it destroyed the SHIELD laboratory.

Red Skull glared at them, eyes hateful before he took a few steps back and disappeared into a shimmering wall.

Loki watched him with unmoving eyes, waiting to see if he was coming back. The mark on his neck was still very dark blue, but some blood had begun to seep out around the edge. It had yet to revert back to Asgardian skin color.

"Is he still here?" Thor asked him. The sirens were definitely getting closer. Not that it mattered; multiple people had seen them and undoubtedly taken footage.

"A portal has not reopened, if that's what you mean." Loki responded, his voice slightly cold.

"Then we need to leave." Captain America said, moving the shield to his other hand.

* * *

Tony watched the news with one hand on the side of his head. The woman on the screen stood in front of the partially collasped building they had just fought with Red Skull. Paramedics were there helping the few that had been injured.

"And here, not quite three miles from the original terrorist attack lies another attack. This one, unfortunately, seems to take a different turn."

The screen flashed to Captain America throwing his shield and then to Ironman shooting into the air.

Tony rubbed his eyes with a deep sigh.

"As you can see, the recently famed Avengers were there during the explosion. But were they the ones causing the trouble, or were they defending us yet again? Stay tuned as we gather more details on this second terrorist in New York City today."

Tony waved a hand to make the screen go away and turned away from it. Thor looked over from his conversation with Lady Sif and The Warriors Three as it got quieter, but they resumed after a moment.

It was obvious that Hawkeye must have come home with various injuries before because Laura seemed unfazed by treating the ones they had. None of his children were remotely surprised either.

The news of the fight with Red Skull had spread rapidly, as shown by the news report. They were expecting, but not hoping for, a call from SHIELD and perhaps Director Fury.

"On the bright side, it looks like Loki was right about his scepter." Tony said. Captain America glanced over at him solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Hawkeye asked from his seat at the dining room table.

Tony glanced towards the window. The God of Mischief was outside so he wasn't going to overhear anything.

"Red Skull mentioned it. How Loki should probably find it before they did." he went on.

Thor walked over, leaving his conversation with his friends.

"And you think that means what?" Captain America asked.

"That Loki was right, I just said it." Tony replied. He glanced at the others "Didn't I?"

"These types of objects have always drawn darkness." Thor said "First the tesseract, and now the sceptor."

"Which your dad did kind of point out was left here temptingly." Hawkeye replied.

"They will return for it." Thor said "And more people will suffer needlessly."

"Is it the signal itself the scepter gives off that allows them easier access?" Tony asked with genuine curiosity "Becauee if so, let's just destroy the damn thing?"

"Loki might know that, but it's not a guarantee." Thor replied "Besides, we couldn't do anything about that. Destroying objects like that is extremely difficult. Not to mention dangerous."

"What if we could though?" Tony asked "Not destroy it, but stop the signal."

"We're listening." Captain America said with just a hint of sarcasm.

"What if we had the sceptor?" Tony asked. His eyebrows went up questioningly. The group stared at him rather gravely.

"It's more than locked away." Hawkeye replied finally after a few seconds "We have no idea where it is."

"But could we find it?" Tony asked "I'm sure we could, what with all of our talents. Is it possible?" He turned to Thor "Is it possible to block the signal, or whatever it gives off, from reaching Thanos?"

"We can't steal the scepter." Hawkeye replied. He sounded a lot more frustrated as Tony had just basically ignored him.

"Umm...we might not have a choice." Tony said "There's no way in hell Fury would ever agree to give it to us."

"Fury wouldn't even be the problem." Black Widow responded "You'd have dozens of other people to go through."

"Good, that means I don't have to lose him as a friend." Tony said.

"The rest of SHIELD wouldn't thank you for breaking in and stealing something when we're kind of supposed to be the good guys." Banner responded.

"No, but the world might. Remember how they were the ones that tried to nuke New York City?" Tony asked.

"And how they were trying to stop that man?" Captain America asked, pointing out the window "You're telling me you want to give that sceptor back to him?"

"We don't have to give it him." Tony said with a tad bit of innocence "But I'd rather it was in Loki's hands than some God of Death."

"Kind of like better the devil you know then the devil you don't?" Black Widow asked dryly.

"He does make a fair point." Banner said, glancing at her "I mean if it's that simple, then we could stop this while thing from happening right now."

"So can he block the signal?" Tony asked, again directing his attention to Thor.

The God of Thunder's eyes flicked between them for a moment.

"I mean obviously that's a loaded question." Tony went on, waving a hand "You don't have to give me an answer right now."

* * *

Loki winced a tiny bit before withdrawing his hand from the mark on his neck. He lifted his book back up to continue reading, but the injury was rather inflamed right now, distracting him. It wasn't even slightly healed over. In fact, blood still gently seeped at the edges of it.

"We should return to Asgard."

Loki looked up and then behind him at Thor. His older brother walked toward him from the house.

"What?" he asked.

"You need a healer." Thor replied, nodding at his neck.

"No. I don't." Loki responded. He looked back down at his book as if he hoped that would be the end of the conversation.

"What did he do?" Thor asked.

"What do you think he did, Thor?" Loki asked scathingly.

"I would guess, but I think you already know." Thor replied.

"He has something that burns frost giants." Loki responded bluntly "I think that's fairly obvious."

Thor just stared back at those cold green eyes.

"But it's something you don't have to deal with so it doesn't matter." Loki went on.

"It doesn't look like it's healing." Thor said with the same amount of steadiness to his voice "So we should return to Asgard for a little while."

"I'm quite sure no healer wants to treat a former prince of Asgard, let alone a frost giant, so that's not an option." Loki replied, narrowing his eyes. He looked away with a breath "They heal on their own after a while."

Thor stared at him, his expression sober.

"Torturing or being tortured?" he asked.

Loki looked at him with a deep confused scowl "What?"

Thor let out a deep breath "You said that if Father decided to torture you for information that it wouldn't matter because you were already well versed in it." he paused, gazing at Loki "Torturing others or being tortured yourself?"

Loki half glared at him, but it was obvious he was a bit surprised by the question.

"Just go with the one you find more believable." he replied "I expect it would be the first."

"Believe it or not, it isn't." Thor said with a bit of spark in his voice.

Loki looked at him coldly "Thor. I told you what you needed to know. You don't need to know anything else. After this were all going to be dead or I'm going to be back in prison. So leave my past alone." he turned away from his brother and began walking away.

"Loki." Thor said, eyes on the ground. The God of Mischief continued walking, but when Thor didn't go on, he stopped and looked back at his older brother.

"We are going to find the scepter." Thor said.

Loki narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why?"

The question took Thor a little bit by surprise, but he didn't hesitate in responding.

"If it's attracting Thanos and his followers then it shouldn't be under mortal protection."  
Even though he had known about the God of Death far longer than Thor, Loki didn't use the name lightly. He actually avoided it when possible, so hearing it said that bluntly was a bit jarring.

"What, are you planning on taking it to Asgard?" Loki asked "Odin might not approve, seeing how it's attracting so much terror to this realm."

"Odin knows that Asgard is better equipped to defend itself than Earth." Thor responded "But, no, that was not my intention. One of the others was wondering if whatever signal that sceptor gives off is actually the source of the weakening between realms."

Loki's eyes flicked away for a moment before returning to Thor.

"I doubt it, but it's possible. It's really just given them more incentive." he said.

"Do you know where the scepter is?" Thor asked.

Loki tilted his head at him "No. I think that of anybody you should ask, it shouldn't be me." he nodded behind him at the house "Ask them."

"They are not aware of its location." Thor replied "Very few are. Would you be able to find it?"

"Are you asking to ensure that it's safe or asking if I could help you find it?" Loki asked scathingly.

"Will you let down your guard?" Thor responded in irritation "I have no hidden motives. Is it possible that you would be able to help us find it so that we can figure out a way to perhaps stop the signal from reaching them?"

"They already know it's here." Loki replied with the same annoyed tone.

"But that's what is allowing them access then it's imperative that we get it first. Red Skull said they were going after it." Thor said "Can you find it?"

"You're going to steal it?" Loki asked with a hint of cold amusement "That doesn't sound like you at all."

"Nick Fury or any other member of SHIELD would not understand." Thor replied "It's our only choice. Can you sense the scepter?"

Loki fell silent for a few minutes, as if he were contemplating something. He stared down at the ground for several seconds. Another prompt rose to Thor's mouth when the God of Mischief spoke.

"No. Not well enough to find it." he said "But I'm sure if you asked Heimdall he would be able to give you somewhere to start."

Thor sighed silently. He would rather that he didn't go through Heimdall for this. Odin may not approve of their plan. But he decided not argue that.

"And is there a way for you to block the signal?" he asked.

"You're thinking about this in very simplistic terms." Loki replied without looking at him. He raised his hands to accentuate his words "There isn't just a constant 'signal' being eminated into space. It holds power and they can sense that power. And they ready knew it was here."

"If they already knew it was here then they would have been here the moment I took you back to Asgard." Thor responded "It has to be giving them the power to open these portals and we have to stop that."

"Then go speak to Heimdall." Loki said shortly.

 **:) Please review guys!**  
 **Also, in a few chapters, I am going to do something that a lot of people try, but fail miserably at. I have been dreaming of writing this for a long time so I really hope people enjoy it and continue to read the story. I am going to do my best to make it realistic!**  
 **But either way, please review!**

 **It's a long chapter hahaha, Merry Christmas!**


	18. Leap of Faith

**Hopefully this chapter is not too poorly written. For some reason, it was hard for me Haha. Thanks for reading!**

The Bifrost slowly wound back down as Thor stepped out and onto the gold flooring of the dome. He had debated on whether or not to bring Loki along with him. But Heimdall would most likely order guards to be present and then all hope of secrecy from Odin would be lost.

The God of Thunder looked up at Asgard's watchman.

"You wish to know the location of the scepter." Heimdall said, before Thor could even get a single word out. His yellow eyes always seemed to be reflecting stars.

The God of Thunder let out a deep breath, unhappy with what he was requesting of Asgard's guardian, but more unhappy with the fact that he couldn't hide anything from him.

"Are you aware of the consequences of Loki regaining power over that weapon?" Heimdall continued, his voice calm.

"Yes." Thor said.

"Yet, you are going to rely on him as you go to find it." Heimdall replied "If I am not mistaken, I believe that the Allfather ordered you not to trust him."

Thor looked away, obviously realizing how pointless this was going to be. Heimdall remained silent for several seconds.

"You are not far from the scepter where you currently are on Earth." he said finally.

Thor looked at him, eyes slightly wide.

"But of course, I am sworn to protect the throne. I cannot tell you that it is just outside New York City within the confines of a well-protected base." Heimdall replied.

"Of course not." Thor said, without cracking the smile that was rising to his face.

"If you would come across it, remember that it will be a great temptation to the former prince of Asgard that resides with you." Heimdall said.

"Loki is no longer of great concern to me." Thor replied pointedly.

"Then, you have been misled." Heimdall said. He held no disdain or anger, but his voice was plain.

"I don't believe so." Thor said. Their conversation had become surprisingly tense at the mention of Loki.

"Thor, I wish for you to be careful." Heimdall said, finally dropping the formality.

"You should not worry. I am aware that I cannot trust him fully. Yet." Thor responded, taking a few steps back "Now, I must return to Earth. I fully understand why you cannot reveal the location of the scepter to me."

"Good." Heimdall replied. He turned back towards the pedestal.

* * *

"There?" Tony asked, looking at Hawkeye "They kept it there?" then he switched his gaze to the others "Public service announcement." he pointed at the ground "Someone in SHIELD is being controlled by Thanos."

Captain America rolled his eyes.

"Oh, sorry, it's me." Black Widow said.

Tony nodded "I always knew there was something you weren't telling me." he shook his head with a smile "Maybe they had a reason for putting it within twenty miles of the city that was attacked." he shrugged "No idiot would think to look there."

"Are you saying you're an idiot because you didn't think to look there?" Fandral asked with about as much teasing in his voice as humanly possible. Tony looked at him.

"Do you think we should bring Loki along with us?" Captain America asked Thor.

"Yes. He said he can help us find it once he is close enough." Thor replied.

Although no one objected, the others obviously shared a general feeling of uneasiness about that. Hawkeye looked over at Captain America with a grim expression.

"Does Fury know about this?" Tony asked.

"No. And you probably shouldn't tell him." Hawkeye said.

"He won't like the idea of me getting close to that thing again." Banner said, folding his arms awkwardly across his chest "And I'm not really excited myself."

"Me neither." Hawkeye agreed and then shrugged with his hands "But we don't have a choice."

"It'll be kept under wraps." Captain America told them quietly "Banner, I think you should stay here. We're only going in and going out."

"In other words, you won't need the other guy in there." Banner replied. He glanced at the ground and then back up "Alright, I can stay here."

"Just to be clear, we aren't leading an attack on this place are we?" Volstagg asked "Like, we would want to avoid casualities?"

"There shouldn't be any casualties. Period." Captain America responded.

"And take care with that. Mortals are killed far easier than we are." Thor replied to his friends.

That almost earned an eye roll from Volstagg, but obviously his friend contained himself. They may not be willing to attack Earth, but that didn't mean they weren't put off by mortals' shortcomings.

"Some are." Tony added to the God of Thunder's statement. Then he took in a deep breath "Well, we should we be on our way. I always knew night time was best for naughty adventures."

This time, he received a look from everyone, besides the Warriors who didn't know him well enough to understand the joke.

* * *

This time, Fandral and Hogun remained behind with the house. Ironically, Nick Fury had actually attempted to call them as they were on their way out. Tony had ignored it easily. He said it was because he didn't want Fury to secretly trace the call and ask questions about where they were heading, but they all knew it was partly to get back at Fury for not answering before.

The sun was well past set by the time they arrived in town. Parking a few miles away, it took them a bit to get closer. Hawkeye and Black Widow had originally debated about the two of them just using authorization to enter the place. After all, no one knew they knew the scepter was there. But they decided that would be too risky given that the scepter was also going to disappear that night.

The base was lit up like the night sky and surrounded by a very tall fence. Trucks drove in and out constantly. It was fairly active for being so late at night. It closely resembled the fort SHIELD had set up around Thor's hammer.

"Our best bet would be getting into one of those." Hawkeye said, tipping his bow towards one of the jeeps "But then we would have the problem of them recognizing us."

"No one would recognize Thor if he looks like a mortal." Captain America said.

"This isn't a damn movie where the guards conveniently don't know what their men look like." Hawkeye replied dryly as he watched another jeep drive by "SHIELD is a little bit too efficient for that."

"That, and do you know how to drive?" Tony asked, looking at Thor. Volstagg and Sif glanced at each other. The God of Thunder just scowled at him silently, but he didn't answer the question. Instead he looked over at Loki, who didn't look back, but he spoke instead.

"We don't need to use anyone of us." Loki said, peering over at the base with expressionless eyes "I only need to see a guard's face and I can replicate it."

They looked at him for a moment before Captain America gave a slow nod.

"Okay." he returned his gaze to the others "We'll need to intercept a truck before it gets too close. Then we can use that to get in."

"Sounds like one of those "too easy" plans." Black Widow said, standing up fully. The others did the same.

* * *

"Base, this is badge 2471, we've got a load of rifles coming in, please be advised we're heading your way." the man in the truck said, speaking into a radio. He waited a moment on the static.

"Copy that badge 2471, we do not have a visual, we will radio you when we do." on the receiving end was another man, although his voice was much deeper. The driver put down the radio and glanced at his companion.

"Damn, you look tired." he said "Try to stay awake for check in so they don't think I tried to drug you again."

"I'm just looking forward to the weekend." his friend replied, rubbing his eyes "Haven't seen my wife in a week. This job gets a little bit ridiculous."

"Just wait till Christmas comes around and you get that bonus." the driver said, glancing forward at the road. He looked back over to see his friend chuckle and roll his eyes.

The truck suddenly jerked as it hit something that felt like a speed bump. The man braked quickly, both hands gripping the steering wheel. He glanced at his partner sitting next to him, who suddenly seemed wide awake.

"If you hit a dog, I'll probably shoot you." he said.

The driver rolled his eyes "There wasn't a dog." he pulled the handle on his door in irritation, taking the radio just in case. He scooted out, getting the ground, before he leaned down to see if anything was underneath the truck. Then he squinted.

"What the-?"

Black Widow jabbed her hand taser into his side and after about two seconds he fell to the ground. The other man in the car sat up quickly as he saw his friend disappear from sight. He unbuckled his seat belt, opened his car door and stepped out. Immediately, Hawkeye, who was waiting on the opposite side, hit him across the neck and knocked him out cold.

Captain America and the others got up from their crouch positions and walked over. Captain America retrieved his shield from the ground underneath the vehicle swiftly.

"Alright, who's driving in as these guys?" he asked.

"I'll do it." Hawkeye said, adjusting his quiver slightly "I know how to stay above their suspicion."

The others glanced each other for a moment and silently the group seemed to come down to Captain America or Tony.

"I can be the other guy." Tony volunteered "Barton will need someone to play off of in case they don't believe it's their men."

Captain America gave him a look, catching the sly insult, but he didn't say anything in response. He instead looked over at Loki and then the others did the same.

The God of Mischief, with a stone hard expression, gave the smallest wave of his hand. There was a green shimmer and then Hawkeye and Tony appeared just like the men lying on the ground.

* * *

"Here they come." the officer near the entrance gate called over to the other men on duty.

"It's about time." one of them said, walking over "What took them so long?"

"I don't know; the two of them probably hit the booze tonight." he replied.

"Call that in, maybe it'll get them to shape up." the man reached his side and shrugged.

They watched out of the gate with expectant faces as the truck drove nearer. Once it got within 10 feet of the surrounding gate, the first officer held up a hand for them to halt.

Hawkeye, who was driving, complied and the man walked out to them.

"Rick, how are you?" he asked as he approached the window.

"Great." Hawkeye replied "Yourself?"

"Don't lie, it's 3:30 am." the officer responded dryly, writing something down on the pad. He leaned to see Tony's illusion, eyebrows raised "Right?"

"I keep telling him that, but apparently he's an optimist." Tony replied, having no knowledge of the previous conversation between the two men.

"You guys are carrying rifles, right?" the officer asked, looking back down at his pad.

"Yep and ammo." Hawkeye replied. He very nearly winced as he realized the second part might not be true.

Fortunately, the man just nodded "Alright, carry on through and get them unloaded."

As he stepped back, Hawkeye pressed on the gas and entered the SHIELD base. Fortunately, since they had been delayed by hijacking the truck, no other vehicles were behind them. He drove it across the outdoor compound, finally jerking up onto the metal platform.

"You'd better get working on those cameras, Stark." Captain America said from the back compartment of the truck.

"Really? I had no idea." Tony responded, glancing out the window "Jarvis is jamming their system now."

"Quietly, I hope." Hawkeye said "They pick up on those things pretty quickly."

"He got a tap into it. He'll put up a false recording every time we enter an area." Tony said as they came to a stop "They shouldn't know the difference."

Hawkeye pulled on the handle and opened the door. He walked around to the back and opened the doors to let the others out. Black Widow was the first on the ground. She handed Hawkeye his bow with a small smile.

"We're getting fired for this."

"Only if they find out." Hawkeye replied as the illusion slowly faded from his form. He grabbed his quiver and slung it over his shoulder. He looked at the group grimly.

"Remember, no killing." Captain America said, looking at Volstagg more than anyone else.

"So you said." the Warrior replied with a hint of irritation "Don't worry about repeating instructions to us, we know how to get jobs done."

Sif looked at Thor, almost as if she wished he would do something. He didn't though because he knew that the person Captain America was portraying wasn't the person he always was.

"Well, Loki." the soldier said, looking at the God of Mischief with serious eyes "Take us to the scepter.

 **Please review! I literally can't write without reviews so please please please review! :)) Also, give me your thoughts on where Loki is at. As far as bitterness and everything. I know where he is at for this story, but I want to see how he is coming off.**  
 **ALSO, I GET TO MEET TOM HIDDLESTON IN 1 WEEK! :DD I am going to Comic Con.**  
 **Review review review!**


	19. Slow to Trust

**Tom Hiddleston is a sweetheart. I got to give him a hug this weekend :D**

Loki walked down the hall, his footsteps completely silent compared to everyone else. Even though he could find his way towards the scepter, he didn't have any experience navigating the walls of a SHIELD base. In which case, Hawkeye and Black Widow stayed near the front of the group.

Captain America kept a look out behind, but they hadn't come across any guards yet. As suspicious as this seemed, Hawkeye had said that it wasn't unusual to keep all of the defense outside and the rest of the crew inside. Generally, it was easy to spot an unfamiliar face, but then again, magic had never been factored into the equation. And, thanks to Jarvis, they were virtually walking around the place unseen.

"Are we close?" Thor said under his breath to Loki once they stopped for a minute.

The God of Mischief glanced at him quickly, seeming a bit peeved by the question.

"Closer." he replied "I suspect it will be well hidden. Below ground, I believe."

"They have a lot of rooms on the lower floors that would be good for keeping it contained." Hawkeye replied intently, as if a thought had just come to him. He stood up straight and walked quickly across the hall. He waved a hand for them to follow. When they were closer to him, he spoke.

"There's a stairwell a few doors down." he said, halfway in a whisper "Let's get down there-"

"Clint, someone's coming, back up." Black Widow said.

Hawkeye backed into the previous hallway, peeking out a little bit at the two men walking down the hallway. They were talking to each other, oblivious to the fact that there were intruders right around the corner.

As soon as they got close enough Black Widow stepped out, sending a flat palm into one of their chin's while Hawkeye simultaneously twisted around, striking the other one across the head with his bow. Neither of the blows would inflict lasting damage, but the two guards would be out for several hours at the least.

"Alright, go, go, go." Hawkeye said, urgently, gesturing at the others to move towards the staircase.

Out of any of them, Volstagg was the most likely to blow their cover. As the typical Asgardian, he wasn't used to sneaking around. But, nevertheless, they made it down the steps into another hallway. This one came to a dead end if you went down too far, but about halfway there was an opening. This led to a big room that sat underneath the fenced off area out of the building. The walls were thick, a very effective way to dissuade intruders trying to come in from below. There were only a few doors opposite from them in the room.

Hawkeye looked at Loki, obviously unsure where to go next. But the God of Mischief didn't notice right off because his eyes were closed. Then, after a moment, he opened them back up, eyes focused on a specific door across the room. He began walking towards it without saying anything to the others. But they followed him silently.

Once they reached the door, Captain America walked up to it. He pulled on the handle, but the door didn't budge.

"Well, we could wait here for a while and try to pick the lock, but I think we might have a better method." Tony said, stepping back "Thor, care to take a stab at it? Or rather, a whack at it."

"That might be slightly obvious." Captain America said, voice dry. But he didn't protest. Thor stepped up to the door and brought his hammer down onto the steel door. The metal bent inward significantly, breaking part of the frame. Volstagg and Captain America walked forward and grabbed the two sides of the damaged door. They pulled and it came unhinged quickly. The two of them set it down as quietly as possible before joining the others in gazing in at the dimly lit room. The scepter wasn't in there, but there were several computers and different machines all over the room. On one of the monitors there was a live feed of the scepter resting on a stand.

"I don't see a scepter in there." Captain America said, looking at Loki. The tone in his voice was a bit belligerent, but it also implied an honest question.

"Then perhaps we'd best take a closer look." Loki responded, voice flat.

Tony was the first to take a few steps into the dim room, eyes on the monitor. There was nothing on the video that would implicate where the scepter was at the moment. The background was dark and the only thing visible was the lines of light coming from the weapon.

"Well, if it was me, I wouldn't just have a random room set off to the side to watch the scepter sit there." Tony said, examining the consoles.

"You might if you were SHIELD." Hawkeye replied.

Even though they followed that line of thought, the others obviously weren't sure what to do at that point. They began doing the same thing as Tony until Thor pulled open a small pad on the wall farthest from the door. Tony watched him and then flicked a finger at it.

"Nice find." he stepped next to the God of Thunder and opened it the rest of the way.

Inside was a keypad with nine lit up numbers and below it was a finger scanner.

"Jarvis, would you mind cracking this for me?" Tony said, tapping the screen of the keypad.

"He's already doing most of the work." Black Widow said, her voice a little bit sarcastic.

"I'll put it on your Christmas list." Tony replied.

"Why is it that you never start off with wearing the suit?" Captain America asked, glancing behind them and then back at him.

"I get on without it." Tony replied watching the screen as numbers flashed across it "I rely on skill. And wits."

Captain America rolled his eyes slightly. A few seconds later, the door to a room slid open. It seemed just to be a portion of the wall that moved out of place.

Perhaps that was why there wasn't a light to the room they were in. Less chance that someone would notice the tiny crevices in the wall. Tony peered in, all amusement fading as he saw stared at the eery glow. The scepter rested on a stand, the blue light flowing within its orb.

Loki held out a hand towards the door, looking at Tony.

"After your wits." he said.

Tony glanced at him briefly and then he stepped slowly into the room. Captain America followed him. Thor stared at Loki intently, almost as if he wanted to say something. Loki looked back for a moment before averting his eyes towards the scepter.

Hawkeye went in and the others followed. Tony stopped in front of it, eyes reflecting the blue light. Slowly, he reached forward and lifted it up off the stand. The way he picked it up suggested that it was heavier than he expected. He seemed almost captivated by it. A heartbeat later, a loud alarm started blaring and red lights in the room started flashing. Captain America looked back at the door, as if suddenly afraid it was going to shut on them.

"Uhh...Jarvis what's going on? I thought we shut off all the alarms around here." Tony said.

"The alarm wasn't triggered here, sir." Jarvis' robotic voice replied "There appears to be a breach somewhere else in the building."

"Another breach?" Tony echoed "Who?"

"I do not have information on them in my database." Jarvis replied.

Captain America glanced swiftly at the others before blinking it away. Then, the alarm cut out. Everyone stared up at the ceiling again, confused.

"Alright, let's go. Stark, you got the scepter?" Captain America asked, staring at him intently, a question in his eyes.

"Yep." Tony replied. A moment after he said that, the ceiling above them shuddered and some dust shook off the computers in the other room. Everyone stood still as the rubble passed. The scepter seemed to glow brighter for a moment. Loki watched it, but as Captain America walked past him, he broke off his gaze, moving it to Thor instead.

* * *

Even more disturbing than the alarm was the fact that they didn't come across anyone on their way out. That would be standard protocol for a break in. The group was being a lot less careful this time around as well. The group walked up the stairs into the narrow hallway where the men they had knocked out should have been.

However, instead of the men, there was just a spray of dark red blood on the floor.

Hawkeye maneuvered around the others and hurried over to it. Captain America was right behind him. The SHIELD operative crouched down, staring at the blood in shock. Volstagg and Sif shared a glance, faces sober.

"We need to get outside." Captain America said "I have a feeling there's a reason we haven't seen any guards."

As they neared the doors, gun shots could be heard being fired. The sun was just starting to come over the horizon when they pushed open the doors into the fenced off area.

They couldn't see any fighting happening right then, but the shots could still be heard.

"It must be on the other side of the building." Captain America said, starting to jog over.

Loki's head suddenly snapped towards the dimly lit fence, eyes wide. Thor noticed this immediately.

"Wait-" he was cut off as a creature much bigger than him suddenly ran from the darkness and collided into him.

Black Widow pulled out her guns, firing at least five shots into it. It let out a strange growl before falling limp. Thor shoved it off him and got to his feet. He stared around them as a small circle of those weird beings began to surround their little group. They were very muscular and they had narrow faces, much like the Chitari. Their skin was a black and yellow, clad in thick armor. They ran on four feet although they could have easy run on two.

Loki stared at them warily, dagger already gleaming from his hand.

One of them charged at the group and Thor smacked it away quickly with his hammer.

"What are these?" he snapped. He asked the question generally, but he really only could have been talking to Loki.

The only communication back was a high pitched screech. Several of them began running towards Tony, targeting him specifically. They had no eyes to be seen and their teeth resembled that of a shark. Tony tapped something on his arm and his dark red suit crept quickly over his body.

"They're coming for this." he said, holding up the scepter before taking off into the air.

"Stark, get that thing away from here." Captain America said, hitting one of the creatures with his shield.

"Planned on it." Tony replied, hovering in the air above them "But I probably shouldn't leave you guys to die."

"We're fine, just take it." Captain America responded.

"You should know by now that I don't follow orders all that easily." Tony said. He pointed his arm at one of the aliens, firing several little bullets at them.

"Have you seen these things before?" Thor asked, looking at Loki as he stood impatiently waiting for another attack. The God of Mischief didn't acknowledge his question, although he most definitely heard it.

Hawkeye shot an arrow at a group of oncoming creatures and it exploded once it hit the ground, sending a lot of them flying. Whatever they were, they certainly didn't have the same strength as Asgardians when it came to being hit by explosives.

A long beam of light took out another group of them a ways away. Ironman lowered his arm slowly, peering at the damage for a moment.

The strangest thing of all was that Loki almost had to seek them out to fight. They were avoiding him whenever possible. He wasn't showing them the same courtesy.

For the time being, the Avengers was making progress, wiping them out faster than they could appear. Then, they changed tactics. The aliens were suddenly jumping into the air, several of them to Ironman's height. Because of this, they avoided being hit by anything else since Hawkeye, Thor, and Captain America couldn't send anything at their friend in the air.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Hawkeye demanded "Get out of here."

One of the Chitari-like beings reached and clung to Ironman's back, sending him dangerously off balance. Tony grunted as he struggled to regain power over himself.

"Stark!" Captain America called, watching with wide eyes. Hawkeye had an arrow aimed up at them, but he couldn't shoot without hitting Tony.

"Clint, watch out!" Black Widow said and he whirled around to stab the alien with the arrow he meant to shoot. She fired a few extra shots into it, making sure it crumpled to the ground.

The creature was still wrestling with Ironman, obviously trying to crawl out to the scepter. Tony had no idea how to use it so one of his arms was completely useless at this point.

Loki kicked away one them, one eye on the fight above now that a second one was beginning to drag Ironman down. Once Thor had cleared the area around him, he looked up as well and then quickly began to spin his hammer.

"Thor, be careful up there!" Captain America warned in between hitting. Either the God of Thunder didn't hear him, or he did and he ignored him. He shot up to Ironman, taking out on of the creatures instantly. However, with the force of the impact, Tony was knocked sideways, his helmet beeping insistently to tell him something was wrong. He let out a yell through his teeth, still trying to straighten himself out. The scepter fell to the ground with a small release of energy.  
Every single on of the alien's heads turned to the object intently and then they all began running. From the way they converged together, it was obvious they were not thinking independently.

There was no way Captain America could get over to in time before the others did, but Loki was much closer. Without hesitating, the God of Mischief sprinted over to it. Captain America watched with wide, intense eyes, trying to hold back some of the creatures.

Loki rolled out of the way of monster, snatched it up, and fired a massive blue blast at the oncoming wave of them. The energy vibrated the air, making everyone stagger backwards. The shot obliterated the group of aliens immediately.

Ironman, having been released from his attacker when the scepter took its attention, landed with a run onto the ground.

Loki stared down at the weapon, eyes glowing blue from the light emanating from it. They were wider than they had been a moment ago. Then, almost instinctively, he released it and it to fell to the ground. Thor was at his side in a second, looking down at the dropped scepter. He stared at a few of the creatures who were indeed glaring back. As if by an unseen order, they all began running in one direction. Thor smacked them away once they got to close, but they weren't trying for the scepter like they had a moment ago.

"It looks like they're retreating." Volstagg called "Get the scepter and let's go!"

Thor grabbed it quickly and he and Loki began their way back towards the others. Then there was a sudden horrible scream of a woman that made the two of them stop cold. They looked at each other for a split second, eyes wide. Then, they both turned their gaze toward the retreating aliens. That was the voice of Frigga.

Her sons stared at the fleeing monsters intensely. They were all disappearing into an invisible portal, vanishing by the second.

"Thor!" Captain America yelled, but the God of Thunder was too captivated by the sound of the desperate scream. He started walking towards the portal, scepter in hand, eyes blank.

"Thor." Loki said, also having a hard time taking his eyes away. He stepped after his brother, pulling on his shoulder "Thor, don't listen to it."

But as he kept walking, Loki grabbed his face, yanking it towards him.

"Thor, it's not her!" he snarled "Do you hear me? She's dead, remember? It's-"

Thor shoved him away with his hammer, eyes glaring, a blow that could have killed a mortal.

"What's he doing?" Hawkeye exclaimed incredulously. Volstagg and Sif began running towards their friend, who was spinning his hammer to fly straight into the portal.

"Thor, no, wait!" Sif shouted at him as he took off.

The rest of them stared in horror as The God of Thunder shot after the fake screaming of Frigga. Any second, he would vanish as well, scepter and all. Tony took off after him with a sudden burst of power, arms and legs flexed hard, but he simply wasn't close enough.

Then, Loki, who should have been much farther behind and still recovering from the hit he'd taken, came in from the side and planted two feet into Thor. The force was enough to send him off course and the two of them tumbled roughly into the ground as the last of the creatures disappeared into thin air.

The team of Avengers hurried over to them, Volstagg and Sif in the lead. Loki was breathing hard, sweat glistening on his face as he regained strength. Obviously he had conjured up something to allow him to move quick enough to stop his older brother. It took its toll.

Thor looked at him, also taking in shallow breaths. The scepter lay in between them, its blue glow as potent as ever. Both of them were covered in dirt from the violent crash. Volstagg pulled Thor to his feet and then did the same to Loki without asking either of them permission.

"What the hell were those?" Tony asked, his suit retracted from his face.

"Why the hell didn't you leave?" Captain America bit back immediately, shooting him a look.

"Seemed a pity to leave the party." Tony snapped back.

Captain America shook his head in annoyance before glancing over at Thor. He was planning on saying something until he saw the distracted look in the God's eyes. Instead, he bent over and picked up the scepter.

"You guys take that and get it away from here." Hawkeye said, nodding at it "Natasha and I are going to go check the other side of the base."

"You don't know if there are more over there." Captain America said.

"Yeah, but we can deal with it better than any other SHIELD agents over there." Hawkeye replied, pulling an arrow back into his bow. Him and Natasha started walking away without any further argument.

"Your father will know about this shortly." Volstagg spoke to Thor. The God of Thunder looked up at him.

"Heimdall can't keep this a secret, surely you know that?" Volstagg said "Odin should know."

"This was a more deliberate attack." Thor replied slowly "But they didn't stay. We have no way of knowing if Thanos sent them here."

"I agree. But that doesn't mean he didn't." Volstagg replied.

Thor looked at Loki again. The God of Mischief had mostly recovered at this point, but he had his gaze on the ground, eyes narrowed.

 **Please review! Like pretty please! Also, don't worry, you will soon know what Loki bargained for. I won't kill you too much longer. :)**


	20. Unveiled Horrors

**Hi! It's high time I updated! I usually write 2-3 chapter in advance before I publish a new chapter, but I have to break my own rule because I feel bad making you guys wait. I only have 1 chapter written after this! *horrified***

 **Hopefully I can get my creative juices flowing and write a good few chapters! Enjoy! Please review, it really helps!**

 _Your father will have words with you._

Thor waited outside Hawkeye's house, arms folded across his chest. They'd brought the scepter back without any other events, but when they had arrived, one of the Asgardian soldiers approached Thor with a message from the Allfather. As they had suspected, Heimdall had reported the attack.

The soldiers were also standing guard over the scepter now. Originally they brought it into the house for safekeeping, but Loki had advised against it. They still weren't sure why and he hadn't given them a direct reason. He only told them it wasn't a good idea. As was expected, this brought up suspicion. Captain America pointed out that leaving it outside was only asking for trouble.

Tony mentioned maybe it was because The God of Mischief didn't trust himself around it, but Thor disagreed. If Loki were to try and escape with the scepter, he would do it deliberately, not because he was unsure with himself. No, Thor suspected Loki fully understood the dark power of the scepter and simply advised against it going into the house.

The God of Thunder actually wasn't all that upset that Odin was coming. Even though it was odd for him to travel to other realms as much as he was these days. He was planning on having the Allfather take the weapon off their hands or secure it through Asgardian barriers and only Odin could do that. Those would potentially allow only allies to access the scepter.

"Don't worry Thor, I doubt he'll banish you to Earth again." Hawkeye said from the porch "And if he does, it won't really be that different from how it is now."

Thor glanced back him with a small laugh, the first to pass his lips in a while. When they had returned to the house, most of them had been given a quick examination by Laura. As such, Hawkeye had a small dressing on a cut on his forehead that stood out against his skin.

"Why were you banished?" Tony asked, looking at Thor.

Loki, who was standing a few yards away from his older brother, looked over at them.

"He invaded Jotunheim without an order. And killed hundreds of frost giants there." he said plaintively, head tilted to the side and eyes narrowed.

Thor stared at the ground lips pressed together. Tony nodded in acknowledgement, eyebrows up.

"You came with me." Thor reminded Loki quietly.

"You know you would have gone alone anyway. Besides, I was the one who had a guard warn Odin of it." Loki replied "Funny how none of that is ever spoken of now.

"You've never been banished." Thor said.

Loki sniffed with a shake of his head. He looked at Thor with narrowed eyes "Not formally anyway."

Thor turned his head to respond, but Loki already turned away from him and walked closer to the house. The blue mark on his younger brother's neck was still very visible, although it was finally starting to heal over a bit. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how to interpret anything cold Loki said since his actions seemed to contradict it.

Volstagg glanced after the hidden frost giant as he walked past. Then he continued on his way to Thor.

"Are you hoping he'll take it to Asgard?" he asked. Thor shook his head.

"I highly doubt he will, but if he finds it to be the best option, I won't stop him."

"And are you sure they would be okay with that?" Volstagg asked, jerking his head towards the other Avengers.

"I don't think it will be a problem." Thor responded, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder "Thank you, Volstagg."

The warrior nodded affirmatively at him. They both looked over towards the field as the white light of the Bifrost suddenly shot through the sky.

Thor raised his chin and immediately started walking over as his father appeared.

Loki watched from closer to the house, book resting in his palms. He appeared mildly curious to hear the content of their conversation so he remained nearby.

"What did I ask you to do?" Odin inquired, leaning his head forward at his son. His tone wasn't sharp, but plain "I don't recall asking you to retrieve the scepter."

"Why does he think he gets to dictate what we do here?" Hawkeye asked, leaning against the railing to the porch. Fandral glanced over at him warily.

"Ordinarily I would leave decisions concerning Earth up to you. But where this concerns every realm and you sought out my help, I am now a part of it." Odin went on.

"That is why." Hogun responded in his gruff voice as he looked at Hawkeye.

"The scepter will be safer with us." Thor replied. Odin's jaw moved.

"By taking it, you are bringing more of a threat to the other realms." he said "Do you realize this? With it in the mortals hands, they would have seen Midgard as the only opposition. Now, you have sent the signal that Asgard and other realms are coming to their aid."

Now some sharpness was entering his voice.

"This was a very foolish move. While it is safer with you, it does not outweigh the risk."

"We have to be in possession of it." Thor maintained "If they cannot sense it here, perhaps they will assume it has been moved."

"And where do you suppose they will assume it has gone?" Odin demanded.

Loki regarded their conversation thoughtfully, not missing a word. Thor blinked at his father, understanding the problem.

"They will have no proof that it is on Asgard." he said "They will not attack there."

"But the chance has increased." Odin pointed out. He sighed "Thor, I understand your intentions. There was a time where I would have done the same. But as King of Asgard, and Allfather of the nine realms, I cannot give one of the realms, other than Asgard, priority. The fact that you were attacked while retrieving the scepter is worrisome. We have shown that we are prepared for war."

"But if we can prevent the power of the scepter from reaching them, perhaps the invasions will stop." Thor said forcefully "Otherwise we are just waiting for them to come to us. This is why we went to get it."

Odin didn't reply for a moment, obviously thinking it over.

"That is a risky gamble." he said finally "It may not do anything of the sort. If it does, I will concede to your wisdom. Until then, I think it would be best if you heeded my advice."

Thor dipped his head in response and Loki took his eyes off the pair of them.

"And, I want to make it clear that we are not bringing that to Asgard until it becomes necessary." Odin went on, nodding at the scepter.

"I thought we could secure it here with Asgard's power." Thor said, hammer shifting in his hand.

Odin nodded, as if he had figured as much. He began walking over to it and his son joined him.  
Loki didn't move as they got closer, but he kept his eyes pointedly away. Asgard's king glanced briefly in his direction, but then he did a double take, eyebrows furrowed. The blue mark on his adopted son's neck had apparently captured his attention. He stared at it as they went by until Loki looked his way. They held gazes for a moment, the hidden Jotun's more cold than the other.

* * *

The newly made transparent gold wall shimmered around the weapon, its appearance providing little justice for how strong it really was. Tony was over by it now, examining the weird barrier.

Odin and Thor had just finished speaking to the Warriors. Thor didn't try to bring Loki over as he understood that he wouldn't take anything as well if it came from Odin. There was nothing else for the king to do on Earth after they finished, but he had yet to announce his departure. However, it didn't take long for Thor to find out what was on his mind.

"What happened to him?" Odin asked, nodding in Loki's direction. Thor followed his gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"The mark. On his neck. When did that happen?"

Thor took a deep breath "When we went to find Red Skull. Loki said he had something that could burn frost giants. He refused going to a healer." he folded his arms slowly "I know it is not the first time it's happened."

Odin didn't reply for a moment "I am unsurprised he did not want a healer, but even if he had accepted it, I do not know if they could have done much. I have not come across something like that before. It seems fairly specific. I doubt many of those dark beings have come across frost giants besides Loki before."

"Meaning what?" Thor asked.

"Meaning they found it specifically for him at some point." Odin responded.

Most of the others in the group could easily overhear them, but neither of of the Asgardians seemed to care. Thor didn't have a response for that. However, he did have a question himself.

"Father, what is the covenant you made with Loki?" he asked "Please, I would really like to know."

"It has nothing to do with you so you don't need to worry about doing something wrong." Odin replied, evading his question. Thor let the silence continue, leaving his father to further fill it.

"I will give Loki closure for Frigga's death." he said finally. Thor's eyebrows went up, surprised he hadn't thought of his mother at all.

"I have granted him access to her chambers and her possessions for the next year. Her books will be of value to him. And comfort, I assume. He will be given a separate grieving ritual when he desires. A number of smaller things pertaining to her as well, but there is another part of it I may not be able to follow through on."

"What?" Thor asked, turning to his father in shock "He has your word. You gave him your word."

"I did." Odin responded.

Thor scowled "Even if he is a liar, he kept his end of the bargain. I would expect you to do the same. Always."

Odin very nearly chuckled as he looked at the ground.

"If I tell you what we agreed on you may change your mind."

"I doubt it." Thor replied "What is it?"

Odin turned and looked his eldest son straight on, eyes serious.

"As soon as his year is up, Loki asked me to have him killed."

Thor blinked, taken aback by his words. He almost felt out of breath for a moment, as if someone had just knocked the wind from him. That was not what he had been expecting at all. Fandral looked down at the ground instantly as if not wanting to meet anyone's gaze.

"So you can see why that part may be a bit harder to hold up to." Odin continued, looking away again "Your mother, for one, did not want that." he paused "Thor, you should be aware that whatever currently awaits Loki after this life, it will not be Valhalla."

Thor stayed quiet after those words. He couldn't even find words to respond. He had always really known that in the back of his mind, but never truly imagined what that would mean until now.

"And, I am not giving you that information lightly." Odin said, glancing at him "It was meant to remain private. I trust that you will not treat him any differently now that you know." he looked at the other Asgardian warriors "Any of you."

 **Please review! I really enjoy writing this story guys!**  
 **Also, please remember that I have something coming up in the story that others have tried to do before and it didn't work out. Mine will work out, so even if you don't like it right off, keep reading as there will still be a lot to the story**.

 **And I am doing by best to write these next chapters, but they are taking a lot of though right now and I am struggling hahaha.**


	21. Danger on the Front

**Been a while friends! Sorry about that, the upcoming chapters are harder to write.**

It had taken a while for Hawkeye and Laura to impress upon the children that they needed to avoid the scepter. Originally they weren't going to say anything about it because telling the children not to touch it would only increase the chances. But Nathaniel had noticed it and immediately became curious. The barrier around it was rather unique from other Asgardian defenses. It allowed beings protecting the scepter to pass through, but would prevent any others. As such, Nathaniel and Cooper were not qualified to be enemies so they could access it at any point if not kept under close watch.

After Odin left, Loki and Thor had gone over to the scepter together. The God of Mischief spoke to the fact that the walls around it would help to suppress its eminating power. But he also added another layer of magical protection on it after Thor had pressed him. The eldest brother wasn't sure what magic Loki had done, but even he could sense a shift in the energy from the scepter afterwards. He knew how much trust all of them were placing in Loki. He hoped he wasn't making their situation worse. Thor was still slightly worried the that his trust was misplaced.

And even though their luck seemed to be on a losing streak, the theft of the scepter hadn't been broadcasted the world. Partly because the SHIELD base was rather under the radar and no news reporters were called in. When Hawkeye and Black Widow had gone to check on the other side, they'd found several dead guards. Fortunately, there weren't too many people at the base that night, but by what they saw, anyone else who had been there would have been dead as well. Even though SHIELD employed some of the best agents in the world, they couldn't be trained to fight enemies that appeared out of thin air.

They hadn't received any contact from Fury after the incident with Red Skull, but after the disappearance of the scepter, they were most definitely on their toes waiting.

"What are you guys going to do?" Laura asked, pulling up the covers on their bed and tucking them neatly. She looked up at Hawkeye, who was standing near their bathroom door, eyes distant as if he were focused on something else. He glanced at her, processing her question after a moment of thought.

"I'm not sure." he said with a sigh "Even with the scepter here, it's no guarantee that these attacks will stop happening. Thor's father up in Asgard wants us just to wait, but I don't really see how we can. Or they can, I should say, because it's not like we can do anything about it from here."

Laura looked back at him, eyebrows creased. Hawkeye had brought home a lot of concerning thoughts before so she could accept them fairly well now, despite what she felt.

"And, I'll be honest." Hawkeye continued "Having that thing around makes me paranoid." he walked over to the window and looked out at the shimmering walls around the scepter.

"And it should." Laura replied "There's a very good reason for that, Clint."

"The thing that makes me most nervous is to think that while I was under his control I could have said something about you and the kids." Hawkeye said without looking at her.

Laura paused, looking up at the ceiling while thinking.

"Well, if he had control of your mind, wouldn't he have already known?" she asked. At least, that is what she had always thought.

Hawkeye glanced over, eyebrows furrowed. His eyes flicked to the ground.

"I never thought about it that way. I suppose possible. Yeah, I'd say you're right." he let out a deep breath.

Laura smiled slightly even though she still had an underlying look of concern "Don't start worrying about it now. If anything was going to happen, it would have happened then."

"Maybe he just didn't get around to it." Hawkeye muttered.

"Somehow I sort of doubt it." Laura replied, rubbing his shoulder. Her husband shook his head slightly, eyes a bit uncomfortable as if he didn't want her having those unvigilant thoughts.

"The attack at the SHIELD compound only shows how unprepared Earth would be if a full scale battle happened. Hell, look at what happened to New York when we knew it was going to happen." he said, changing the subject.

"Clint, they couldn't have prepared for what happened yesterday and only a few people knew what was going to happen in New York. I'm not saying we could stop an attack over the whole planet, but I'm pretty sure we could give any aliens a run for their money."

Hawkeye shrugged and opened his mouth to agree with her when he noticed something outside the window. He leaned in to take a closer look and Laura joined him after a moment.  
A big black SUV with tinted windows was driving up the dirt road to the house, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.

"Is that Fury?" Laura asked.

"I hope so." Hawkeye replied, backing up from the window "But it could be one of the few others who are aware of this place." he started walking towards the door "We need to hide the scepter quick."

He hurried down the stairs and Laura followed him closely. Surprisingly, only Tony, Thor and Banner were inside. Black Widow and Captain America were approaching the car which had parked several yards away from the horse. Loki was on the porch, reading his book as per usual.

Hawkeye looked at the guys, baffled by their calmness. The scepter, usually visible from the window, was gone.

"Where is it?" he asked. His voice was closer to a sharp whisper.

"Out of sight for a moment." Tony replied casually. He held out an arm to usher Hawkeye to the front door "It's not Fury so you should probably be first one to greet them. Make it seem less suspicious."

"How do you know it's not Fury?" Hawkeye asked.

"I like to stalk people." Tony replied "Or, Jarvis does."

"I'm not sure it should be called stalking, sir." the robotic voice replied from one of the electronic devices in the room.

Hawkeye walked out of the house and down the steps to where a lone man was getting out of the car. He was one of the directors of SHIELD, a member of the World Security Council, and one of the very few people who knew about Hawkeye's family.

Captain America stopped and waited for the man to approach them. He was tall, broad shouldered, with completely white hair.

"Councilman Malick." Black Widow said, with a small nod and smile. She turned to walk with him as he continued to the house.

"Agent Romanoff." he returned the greeting evenly "There seems to be quite the gathering here."

"Yeah, well, we like to catch up with each other once in a while." Black Widow responded smoothly.

####

"Director Fury is otherwise occupied right now, so I thought I would come out here myself." Malick said, looking at the group of Avengers "We seem to have a little bit of a problem here and I'm going to ask right off. What the hell is going on?"

"Going on?" Tony asked "You'll have to elaborate sir, I'm afraid my partners can be a bit slow." he set his phone down "And actually, before any of us answers that question, who are you? I mean obviously Agent Barton and Romanoff know you, but the rest of us seem to be at a disadvantage."

Captain America raised his eyebrows expectedly. Thor and the other warriors stood together closest to the kitchen, arms all folded in the same fashion. Loki hadn't come inside, but no one was particularly concerned with him. Malick didn't seem to have recognized him and obviously Fury hadn't passed on the information.

"I am Gideon Malick, Mr. Stark." the man replied "I work with SHIELD and on the World Security Council to keep people like you in check."

"Oh good, then you know all about us and how we saved the world." Tony said plaintively.

"You know, I've only heard of you, Stark, but right now you are living right up to your reputation." Malick said, without cracking any smile.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Tony said "Workplace hazard."

"All of you should know I was never on board with the whole Avengers Initiative." Malick said "Fury decided to run it by himself. It was never authorized. We let him get away with it because the Avengers seemed to have done us a favor in New York."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Tony replied.

"However, I'm not so sure that this is what I call a favor right now." the man went on, clicking a button on his flat screened phone. A voice recorder immediately started playing.

"And the Avengers appeared to have been the ones behind this heinous attack on downtown New York City. This isn't far from the Avengers tower they are famous for defending about a year ago." the clip cut and switched to another reporter "They appear to be fighting a man that is a suspect in the earlier terrorist attack that day. Unfortunately, that man has not been seen since their fight with the Avengers so it's unclear whether or not the Avengers are actually the ones to blame for the first attack-"

Malick stopped the recording and tucked the phone into his jacket pocket.

"That doesn't seem like the reason Fury wanted the Avengers Initiative." he said.

"You think we'd be involved with a terrorist attack?" Black Widow asked, contemplative eyes on the ground.

"You tell me Agent Romanoff." Malick replied, looking at her "It might be best if you tell me what it's all about."

"The terrorist had another bomb he was going to set off." Hawkeye said "We had to stop him before he got to where he was heading."

"Last I checked, the Avengers aren't called in for terrorist attacks." Malick replied "We have other people for that."

"This terrorist was a bit above their pay grade." Tony replied.

"Alright. And say you're not behind this." Malick said "The staff. The one we recovered from New York City after the Chitari attack."

"Scepter." Tony said under his breath.

"I think we know what it is." Hawkeye said aloud, looking at the SHIELD director with a tilted head.

"It's missing." Malick said "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Missing?" Hawkeye asked "As in stolen?"

"The compound was attacked." Malick said "And funnily enough none of the cameras seem to have any record of it."

"So you're telling me the scepter that almost cost me and my friends their lives is in the hands of someone other than SHIELD?" Tony asked "Again?"

"I think you already knew that." Malick responded "And your feigned innocence is coming off a bit too strong."

"I've never feigned too much in my life." Tony said.

"We didn't have anything to do with that." Captain America said.

"Then why are you all here?" Malick asked finally.

There should have been silence, but Tony wasn't going to provide it.

"Well one can celebrate with his friends after saving a city, can't he?"

"How did you catch wind of this so called terrorist?" Malick asked, practically ignoring the answer to his question.

"It's called a television." Tony said, waving his hand at his board.

The Councilman narrowed his eyes briefly.

"I don't believe that."

"Well, it is." Tony said, gesturing at it again.

Malick stared silently at all of them for a few moments.

"It might best if all of you stick to your job, if that's what you can call it, and leave the other things up to us. We're sending out teams to find the scepter. If they find it here-"

"Last time I checked, this place didn't exist." Hawkeye replied.

"Well, that can be overturned if you were suddenly deemed a criminal." Malick replied "I suggest you all keep in line or this place and it's occupants might be otherwise compromised."  
He turned around and walked towards the door. Loki watched him from the porch as he headed towards his black car.

Hawkeye and the others all slowly came out onto the porch, faces sober as they also peered after him.

Loki took a few steps forward until he was standing beside Hawkeye, regarding the councilman with contemplative eyes.

"Are you going to let him get away with that?" he asked.

"What?" Hawkeye asked, glancing at him.

"Threatening them." Loki replied, keeping his eyes ahead.

Hawkeye let out a bitter guffaw "There's not much I can do about it."

"Cannot, should not, or will not?" Loki asked, giving him a dubious look.

Hawkeye opened his mouth and then paused for a second.

"All of the above." he replied.

"Hm." Loki looked back at the field as the car began to drive off. He placed a piece of paper neatly back into his book, closed it, and set it on the railing "Well I can."

Hawkeye blinked in surprise as the God of Mischief walked down the steps from the porch.

"Loki." Thor pushed past Banner to follow him.

"You don't mind if I overstep my bounds for a moment do you?" Loki asked, looking at him with a small challenge in his eyes. He began walking again. Thor went after him, eyes wide.

"If you kill anyone, father will-"

"Nothing so morbid." Loki interjected, watching the car driving away intently. It started down the lightly paved dirt trail, the dust clouding around it until it was no longer visible.

Loki slowly began running, gradually picking up speed. Thor watched, hand gripping his hammer tightly. Loki began to actually gain on the car. He took longer and longer strides until he leaped into the air. If he were a mortal, he would have landed maybe a few feet away, but instead he landed on the top of the moving SUV like a cat. He was crouched down, keeping his balance perfectly, despite the moving car.

Hawkeye was just staring at the scene, not making a comment.

"Well. And to think we believed we could ever keep him contained." Tony said. Captain America scowled and walked down the steps.

Loki held out a hand and then pulled it towards his body. The SUV slowly came to a stop and then began to drive in reverse.

Malick, inside, had both hands gripping the steering wheel, foot pressing down hard repeatedly on the gas pedal, eyes intensely confused.

Loki manipulated the car to go to the left and it swerved, coming a bit close to the side of the hill when it skidded to a halt. Then it was going forward again, wheels digging into the dirt to propel itself forward. Loki turned it right sharply so the back tires skidded around in a circle.

Hawkeye let a small smile appear and Tony looked over at him, face amused. Thor's face didn't share their humor, but he was also watching it happen without interference.

The SUV's engine revved as it began to rotate in a circle, sending dirt flying around it. It came to a jerky stop and then drove forward quickly. Through it all, Loki was on the top, leaning one way or the other as he moved the car. Then with a final hard stop, he let the car go and jumped off. It continued forward until it hit the rock cliff. Thor's mouth opened nervously, but the impact was only enough to dent the front of the airbag wouldn't have even gone off.

Loki walked back towards the house, obviously in no hurry, but his head was up just a bit higher than before.

Once the car was stopped for several moments, Malick opened his door and got out, his forehead a sweaty mess. He looked back towards the house. Loki held up a hand and he faded from view for moment.

The incident had happened far enough away that the Councilman couldn't see the people around the house clearly enough. He looked back at the SUV for a moment before turning to the vehicle. He walked around to the front to survey the damage and then he crouched down to look under it.

"There'll be hell to pay for that." Captain America said.

"Not if he didn't see him." Hawkeye replied.

After a bit of inspecting the car, Malick slowly got back in. Under normal circumstances, if he hadn't just threatened the people he visited, he would have gone back. But right now, he restarted the car and continued driving away, increasing his speed just a tad.

Loki reappeared a few yards away, walking towards Thor. His older brother stared at him, face disapproving. The God of Mischief looked back around to watch the SUV leave just as he reached Thor, face subtly amused.

"You can't do stuff like that." Thor growled.

"Really?" Loki asked, his voice suggesting he was prepared for a lecture he wouldn't listen to.

"You could get in serious trouble for that." Thor went in sharply.

"Well, I'm not planning on telling Odin, are you?" Loki asked, glancing at him.

"I wouldn't be too sure." Thor replied in annoyance.

Loki glanced down at the ground with a quick smile "That's alright. I was never the tattletale brother anyway."

Thor opened his mouth in offense as Loki, still staring after the SUV, suppressed a small laugh and turned around to walk to the house. He waved a hand and then the scepter slowly came back into view.

"They're vehicles have cameras." Captain America said.

"I think if you ask them, they'll find that I was never there." Loki said as he passed him.

Tony's eyebrows went up and he took a few steps over to Hawkeye.

"Looks like you've made a friend." he said, leaning over to him.

Hawkeye shook his head and glanced back at the house "I don't think it's me." then he took a deep breath and shook his head. He gestured at the scepter "They suspect it was us."

"But they don't have any proof." Captain America replied "Don't give it up too soon."

"He just came to see if he could scare it out of us." Black Widow said "And maybe warn us to be careful."

"He straight up threatened us." Tony replied "SHIELD is starting to get a little bit controlling."

"They don't want us doing anything stupid." Black Widow said "Which I think we already have. He came on hard to see how much we knew."

"Yeah." Hawkeye said, scratching his head "I mean, what we're doing is good and all, but I don't really think we want to start a war with the World Security Council."

Thor let out a deep breath, eyes in a rather conflicted scowl. As far as his brother, the event was encouraging, but he knew from experience that Loki was very good at hiding what he really felt. However, like Hawkeye said, the last thing they needed was the rest of Midgard turning against them.

 **Please review! Like pretty please! It helps me out! :))**


	22. Old Friends

**Sorry it's been a while. I would love nothing more than for you to review :D**

"It's too cold outside." Nathaniel complained to Laura, eyes in a deep scowl.

That morning they had woken up to a rather chilly day. Ever since the boys had been given their swords, they wanted to be outside to practice. Laura had come up with every excuse in the book to keep them inside, but nothing made it easier than the cold weather.

It was gradually beginning to warm up as the sun slowly got higher and higher in the air, but obviously not soon enough for Nathaniel.

The evening before, Volstagg and Captain America had nearly come to blows after an argument about what they should do next. Captain America wanted Odin to do something about the other realms immediately, but Volstagg all too willingly defended the king's decision. Thor, being the mediator, had to acknowledge both sides, but in the end, he also sided with his father. More out of duty than belief. Loki stayed out of the conversation altogether, even when everyone else voiced their opinion.

However, by the next morning, the two of the them creating the most conflict had settled down and now the only conflict was between Laura and Nathaniel.

His mother nodded down at him "I know. It's going to be a lot colder in the next few weeks."

Cooper, having experienced winter several times where he could remember it, wasn't complaining. He was upstairs still, entertaining himself silently.

Nathaniel folded his arms up at his mother, as if it were her fault. Hawkeye put a hand on his son's shoulder with a bit of a smile and led him away towards the kitchen. Thor glanced over at Loki through the window. Nathaniel was especially peeved because he was outside without any side effects.

Even though Odin had specifically forbidden him to speak of Loki's request or even let on that he knew about it, Thor couldn't stop himself from thinking of it. Several months ago, he knew he would have accepted his brother's death as justice, even if grief would have accompanied it. But not right now. Not if Loki asked for it. He was catching glimpses of the best friend he'd had before and silently hoped that might continue. Seeing Hawkeye with his children made him wish Loki could only remember the good times they'd had with Odin. But Thor had to remind himself that they may not be remembered as kindly by his younger brother anymore.

Today, Tony and Banner were going to try a few tests on the scepter. They would have done it before, but Captain America had warned them about upsetting the Asgardian power over it, which was more of a false sense of security than anything. They had no idea if it would really help to stop Thanos from sending more people to Earth, but it was their best bet.

"Why did SHIELD send him?" Tony asked suddenly. He was looking down at a book and not really paying much attention to the others at the moment.

"I don't think they sent him." Hawkeye said, walking back from the kitchen "I think the WSC did. SHIELD trusts us more than that."

"People like Fury?" Tony asked "That might be the funniest joke I've heard all day."

"Does he know you're reading that?" Banner asked, nodding at the book.

Tony glanced above it, eyebrows up. Thor looked over and realized he was holding one of Loki's books.

"Well, it was sitting here." he looked back down at it "And there are a few interesting things in it."

"You can read it?" Hawkeye asked.

"No, I skipped the 4th grade." Tony replied.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes "No, I meant because it was in different language when I saw it."

"Oh, well, this one is in English." Tony said.

This earned another eye roll from Captain America and then he spoke.

"Anyway, even if they can't prove we have the scepter-"

"Unless they find it." Tony interjected.

"We need to be a bit more careful." Captain America continued, giving him a look "Marking ourselves as criminals isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Should we leave?" Banner asked "Here?"

"Well, one side of me says yes, because we seem to be attracting a lot of attention." Hawkeye said sarcastically "But I don't think we're going to find anywhere else that is undocumented."

"And if we left now it might look like we're trying to hide something." Black Widow replied. Her head was resting on her fist as she looked at them. Hawkeye nodded.

"Can your dad open portals?" Tony asked, glancing at Thor.

The God of Thunder shook his head "No. That is not a power that anyone should have. Asgard has the Bifrost to travel, but we use it sparingly." he paused "If there is a desperate need, my father can gather dark magic and conjure someone to another realm. But it is at a high cost to himself. That is how I came to Earth to retrieve Loki."

"How many other Bifrosts do you think there are amidst the different realms?" Tony asked sounding a bit too prophetic.

"None. There are other methods of travel, but there is only one Bifrost. Asgard is the leader of most realms, even if they are not among the nine we guard. We don't know much of the dark realms. As my father said, we never confirmed the existence of Thanos until now." Thor glanced over at the door as Loki came through. To his credit, he didn't fade off as if they were saying something offensive.

However, Loki didn't say anything. His gaze fell on the side table and then up at Tony. With a deep scowl, he walked over immediately and snatched the book from the mortal's grasp.

"Hey, whoa. Wait, uh, I was..." Tony half reached after it, but Loki already turned away from him with a glare.

"Good read." Tony said after him.

"Musn't touch." Loki replied scathingly, without turning back around.

"Oh. Ow." Tony said, touching his chest dramatically.

Volstagg, surprisingly, had a small smile on his face, along with Hawkeye and Black Widow. It was more about seeing someone come back at Tony with a good amount of spite.

"I want to go out." Nathaniel moaned to his mother again.

"You can go out, but you have to put on your coat and shoes." Laura replied, picking up some papers from the counter and stacking them neatly.

"But I can't fight with a coat on." Nathaniel maintained.

"Nathaniel." Hawkeye said with a small scowl and raised eyebrow "Stop it."

The little boy growled in frustration and began stomping towards the stairs.

"Sometimes I think I need to go and work for SHIELD and you stay home and watch them." Laura said, folding her arms "Then when I come back maybe they'll listen to me."

"When they get like that, just say no. Stop compromising." Hawkeye replied, smiling.

"Do you hear that?" Captain America asked.

After that statement, as was expected, everyone went silent. And, also as expected, there was quiet music playing from somewhere.

"Just a kid upstairs, Rogers-" Tony was cut off as it suddenly increased loudly in volume, making Laura jump.

Loki blinked several times and then leaned to look out the window. After a moment, he turned around and quickly went out the steps. Thor followed him first.

The music was similar to the ones they played on Asgard as the Warriors left for battle, but much more grand. There were loud trumpets and from the sound of it, large drums.

The two Asgardian brothers were staring at a small group of guards that surrounded a man and woman. They were adorned with lavish clothing, a tall fan like head dress extending from the woman's gown. She had dark hair that was wrapped around her head in a braid. The man stood taller than her, head held high with a very large smile. He looked to be younger than Odin, but for sure older than Thor.

Loki himself was staring at them with amazement, his own smile beginning to creep over his face. Even if Thor has wanted to ask a question, no one could have heard it above the loud music.

The warriors had joined them at their sides and Captain America came up next to Loki, scowling since nobody seemed to be concerned.

"Who is this?" he asked. When nobody answered, he pressed "Thor. Loki."

"These people are not a threat." Loki responded, without looking at him. For the first time, his face actually looked delighted.

"To us or to you?" Captain America asked. The God of Mischief ignored that and began to walk forward. He approached the man and woman and the guards moved out of the way accordingly.

Once he was a few yards from them, he went to one knee in a bow. Thor watched in surprise as that symbol was only given to royalty.

His brother got to his feet as the man walked towards him. He had a staff that only came up to his chest, unlike Gungnir. They were only about a foot from each other when he pushed Loki away with it. The God of Mischief looked mildly surprised.

"You." the man said, still walking forward, face completely stoic "You disobedient, foolish boy. You come to this undefended world with an army, wreak havoc upon its citizens and expect something to come of it? I would have put you in prison too." he shook his head for several seconds. Then he smiled and leaned forward to put both hands on Loki's shoulders with obvious excitement "It's good to see you."

"You as well." Loki replied with a small dip of his head and side of his mouth curved up.

"You look good." the man said, releasing him as his wife stepped forward.

"A bit thin." she said pointedly, but she smiled just the same as she reached forward to hug him "But very well."

The man laughed under his breath until they let go. He put one hand on Loki's arm, face turning solemn.

"My condolences on the loss of your mother, Loki. Asgard will mourn her for many years to come."

Loki's eyes flicked down for a moment "Yes, I..." he paused and then looked back up "Thank you."

The man patted him once and then began to walk past him towards the others standing outside. Thor shared a look with the other Warriors, eyes baffled. Loki glanced after the newcomer walking away, eyes brightening just a tad.

"Is Hena here?"

"Who do you think knew you were here?" the man asked with a small chuckle "Yes, she'll be along."

Loki looked back at the group of guards as a woman suddenly ran out and jumped at him with a squeal. Surprisingly, the God of Mischief didn't fall backwards, although he did stagger back a few paces as he caught her embrace. The man's wife smiled and then turned to follow her husband, dress held up as she walked.

Thor stared for far too long, but it was obvious that the two of them knew each other well as Loki set her down, the first real smile upon his face for a long time. She talked excitedly to him, although, by now Thor's attention was on the man approaching them. He touched his staff to the floor.

"I am Valder, King of Anaheim." he said, head held up "And this is my lovely queen Svleiva, who deserves most credit for anything good in my kingdom."

The woman, Svleiva, glanced at him with a few small, amused shakes of her head.

"Thor, Prince of Asgard." Thor said with a scowl and the two of them gripped each other's forearms in greeting.

"Yes." Valder replied with a respectful nod "Again, you have my condolences on the loss of your mother. I hope you are finding some comfort in your time of grief."

Thor slowly nodded, face obviously still confused.

"You four also appear to be of Asgard." Valder said gesturing at the Warriors. They each confirmed this with a nod.

"And Midgardians." he said to everyone else "I apologize for coming here unannounced, but I needed to have words with Asgard's representatives." he glanced out at Hena and Loki "And my daughter sensed Loki was here."

"You know Loki." Thor said intently "How?"

"I can fill you in on that later." Valder said "And when there is a moment. I would like to thank you properly, Thor of Asgard. For now, if we might, I would like to enter your household and speak with all of you."

Hawkeye glanced at the others and then extended an arm towards the house. Valder nodded appreciatively in return.

Hena and Loki were finally walking closer to them, although not intentionally. The young woman glanced up and looked at Thor.

"Is that him?" she asked, eyes wide "Wow."

Thor's eyes flicked side to side as she looked over at him for several moments.

"Really?" Loki asked flatly, breaking her gaze. He stared at her stoically.

"What?" Hena asked indignantly "I've never seen him before; I'm allowed to show a bit of awe."

Loki rolled his eyes and began to walk away with a shake of his head.

"Hey!" Hena went after him quickly.

Valder glanced over at them with a smile as he walked up the steps to the house.

Thor looked after his younger brother for moment, wondering if he should leave him out there.

"They'll be alright." Valder said from inside, as if reading his mind "My men will keep watch."  
Captain America frowned after him as if he didn't quite believe that.

"I'll stay." Fandral offered quietly to Thor.

"I will too." Hogun said.

Thor nodded at them quickly before following the king into the house.

Nathaniel had come back downstairs and was staring at the king from behind a corner. He saw his dad and took a run for him. Laura must have gone upstairs with Lila. Valder watched him with obvious amusement.

"Lovely boy." Svleiva said. Hawkeye glanced up at her but wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Indeed." Valder agreed. Then he looked at Thor "Have you any idea why the walls of the realms have weakened?"

Thor looked a bit taken aback that this would be the first question to come up.

"Hang on a moment." Captain America said, putting a stop to it "I think we'd better discuss why you're here before we jump into that."

"I apologize, we can begin there." Valder replied with a dip of his head.

"Good, then how did you travel here?" Thor asked, voice less sharp than the soldier's next to him. As they did not currently appear to be a threat, he was far more concerned with how they got to Earth. If they were able to open a portal, that meant it was a skill available to any realm.

"We have a mechanism similar to Asgard's Bifrost." Valder replied "It is generally more limited than that, however. We can only travel to the realms that surround us. But with these weakened borders, it was much easier to slip through."

"I have not heard of Anaheim. You are not of the nine realms." Volstagg said, scowling.

"No." Valder paused "If you are referring to the nine that Asgard protects, we are not. Anaheim is farther off than that. A break off from an older realm. This is why we have our own way to travel should it be forced upon us. We are a realm of peace. We do not seek any conflict with others."

"But how is this possible?" Volstagg asked "I was not aware of other realms outside of our nine."

"There are few, but we exist. Much smaller than other realms, although we are generally not less powerful. Many dark beings reside on the outer ridges so we are careful where we stray." Valder replied "They have been restless this past while."

"You know them?" Captain America asked.

"We know of them." Valder replied "But we do not associate with them."

"Do you know of Thanos?" Thor asked boldly.

Valder looked at him grimly "Yes. I have heard that name. I truly hoped he wasn't to blame for this."

"But you're not here because they're 'restless'." Captain America asked.

Valder turned and pointed out the window at the young woman with a sudden smile.

"Hena, my daughter, believed she was able to feel Loki's presence here. Fortunately, she was correct. That is why we came."

"How do you know him?" Thor asked again "Loki never traveled outside the nine..." he trailed off with a small realization.

"Loki came to our realm several years ago. Not purposefully, I will add." Vandral said "You can ask him about that. Him and Hena became friends, but when he left, she lost her connection with him." he looked back again "Until now."

After a moment, when everyone looked a bit confused, Valder continued.

"Hena has the ability to read others minds and forge a link so they can communicate." he explained "It's a power our line of family possesses."

"Magic." Tony said under his breath, leaning against the wall.

"Yes." Valder replied with a swift glance at him. Tony's eyebrows shot up as if he hadn't expected him to hear.

"From the way you spoke out there." Volstagg said, nodding over at the window towards Loki "It seems you know what's he's done."

Valder looked at him pointedly with a slightly irritated scowl "What Loki has done is a tragedy, but please don't speak of him in that manner." he said "Yes, I know what transpired here and I know that he is currently a prisoner because of it. However, I am surprised of your treatment of him. As if he were only a traitor to you."

"That's what he is." Sif replied.

"I mean no offense, but I remember friends being a little bit more supportive than that." Valder replied "You certainly were when Loki's older brother was banished."

Thor's eyebrows furrowed at him, wondering how this man could possibly know about that. Sif did not debate it since she didn't really know anything about the king, but she stared at him stubbornly.

"All of that aside, I wanted you to know that you would have Anaheim's support from this point on." Valder said "We are peaceful, but we also stay on the side of light. We will help to maintain that."

"That would be welcome." Thor replied, still sounding wary "Forgive me if I seem untrusting, but I will need to speak to my father of this."

"Odin? Of course. I would be willing to speak to him as well if he finds it necessary." Valder said.

"Then I shall tell him that." Thor replied.

Anaheim's King dipped his head "Thank you. I know he grieves as well. It is never easy to lose a realm's queen."

"How do you know about that?" Volstagg asked.

"Asgard is very well known to all realms." Valder replied "We watched her spirit join Valhalla. That news traveled quickly." he let out a deep breath "It was not pleasant to hear. I had great respect for your mother."

"Thank you." Thor said with a nod.

"I owe you thanks for bringing Loki from Asgard." he said "That is a true act of kindness not many would have been capable of."

"I must admit that was not my first intention." Thor said.

"That doesn't matter. Loki's aura..." Valder shook his head "His aura is much darker than when we parted last. I saw it the moment we came."

Svleiva nodded from his side as well.

"He has meddled with darkness." Thor replied.

"Or darkness has meddled with him." Valder countered "Loki is not a dark being in any regard. At some point, I wish to return him to Anaheim to remind himself of that."

"That will not be possible. Loki remains an Asgard prisoner." Thor said.

"I will have words with Odin on this matter." Valder interrupted "I will not see his potential wasted like that." he looked at his wife "Will you call Hena please?" then he returned his gaze to Thor "Your father has always been a wise man. I will convince him."

As the prince and king continued talking, several of the others waited for Svleiva to go and call for her daughter, but she never left her husband's side. However, no more than two minutes later, the young woman and Loki were walking up the steps to the porch.

The group remained in confusion until finally something dawned on Hawkeye. He tapped the side of his head and gestured at Valder. Tony silently went 'ahhh' while nodding.

"And suddenly texting was taken to a whole new level." he muttered to Banner.

Valder and Thor looked over and their conversation faded off as Loki and Hena came through the door. The king immediately looked happier.

"Here she is. This is my daughter, Hena." he said, holding out a hand to her.

The woman smiled at them and gave a small wave "Hello."

"Umm...greetings." Tony replied definitively.

Standing next to Loki, Hena was at least a head shorter than him. Her frame was tiny, even without comparing it to any of the others. She had dark brown hair that went several inches below her shoulders and very warm brown eyes. And from the corner of the eye, she seemed to have a strange faint glow around her.

"We have another daughter. Her name is Mazi." Valder said. He glanced after where Nathaniel had disappeared "Looks to be a little bit older than your son." he breathed out and turned to Thor "Now, are you planning to attack those who are behind this?"

"Not at this time." Thor replied carefully "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for them. They have already invaded realms."

"If these attacks are organized, you have a much bigger fight coming." Valder said "If such a thing should happen, please know that Anaheim will stand with you. And, if you would, keep us informed. We can lend aid where necessary." he glanced at his wife "We should return home. Allow them to continue with their task."

"I can stay here." Hena said immediately, suddenly gazing at her father earnestly "I can be your messenger."

Loki looked at her and then glanced at Thor for a split second.

"Hena, no." Valder replied "I have others for that."

"Wait a moment, listen." Hena maintained intently "I can help them. Midgard seems to be their chosen place of attack, so they can use every person they can get. And I can make sure you know when to send help. Please can't I stay?"

Valder shook his head "This is not my realm. I do not have authority here. You would have to ask them."

Hena immediately looked at Loki, who would have had to state the same, but then she turned her hopeful eyes to the rest of them. Loki also looked over at Thor, waiting for an answer.  
Captain America opened his mouth, likely for a polite refusal when Tony spoke.

"Yes, you are absolutely welcome to stay." he said.

Hena jumped in excitement, hands clasped together. Captain America looked at him, his face flat.

Valder let out a deep breath and glanced at Svleiva. His wife gave a slow nod, looking at her daughter.

"Very well." he said "Mazi isn't going to be very pleased, but I suppose we can keep her entertained for the time being."

"She can come here once in a while if she wants." Hena replied. She gestured at Loki with a small roll of her eyes "I'm sure she'd like to see someone."

The God of Mischief smiled slightly and vaguely shook his head.

"That she would." Valder replied "Very well, we will depart now. Good luck." he turned escorted Svleiva over to the door. Hena followed and then Loki went after a little bit behind.

The Anaheim guards had moved closer to the house, but as their king came out, they moved in formation with him.

"Loki." Valder called glancing back at him. The God of Mischief looked up, eyebrows raised.

"Keep her out of trouble." Valder said, grinning. Loki smiled as well, staying closer to the house.  
Hena opened her mouth indignantly and ran after her father. The king hurried forward, laughing quietly. Svleiva looked back at her daughter, eyes sparkling.

"I'm not the one who needs looking after!" Hena said back to him, folding her arms.

"No offense intended, but when you get around him, he tends to be the more responsible one." Valder replied.

"That is not true!" Hena said back, arms folded.

"We'll return tonight for a celebration and give you a proper goodbye then." Valder said in amusement, ignoring her final objection "Until then, please be safe!"

"I hate you!" Hena called, smiling as she waved to him "Goodbye mother!"

Svleiva raised a hand in farewell, her face very good humored.

Thor stood on the porch with the Warriors, Tony, and Captain America. The rest of them were watching from inside the house. Thor looked over at the Warriors, mouth open just a tad, eyes scowling. Loki was only a little way in front of them so they didn't speak, but it was fairly easy to know what they were all thinking.

* * *

"This is actually fairly good news." Fandral said, hands resting on his hips "It means that other realms would be willing to fight with us."

Thor nodded slowly, but it was obvious he was not paying very much attention.

"But I've never heard of Anaheim." Volstagg said "And I know every realm there is."

"Evidently not." Fandral replied with a small smirk "Where is Thanos right now?"

His friend scowled at him "I'm just saying it would be best to report it to the Allfather as soon as possible."

"Already done." Thor said and Volstagg's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Heimdall will send a guard with his returned message." Thor continued.

"Well, I've heard of Anaheim." Tony said and they immediately looked at him.

"You have?" Volstagg asked.

"We're probably not talking about the same one." Tony replied. He held up his phone above his head as if trying to see something.

"Why did you invite her to stay?" Captain America asked, without looking at him. He didn't sound irritated, but genuinely curious.

"I'm sorry, are we not trying save the universe here?" Tony asked, holding out a hand in frustration "Our best shot is getting all the good realms on board."

"I just hope they don't think they'll have any pull in what we decide to do." Captain America replied "At least not yet. I think it would be best if we keep things to ourselves first."

"I'm on your side on that." Tony said "But, you heard them. They remain neutral on issues."

"They're peaceful. That's not the same as neutral." Black Widow replied.

They glanced over at footsteps on the porch as Hena and Loki came back up. She walked in with a little more nervous smile.

"Hi." she said "I've introduced myself, but I don't know anyone's names but Loki and Thor, so I was hoping everyone could introduce themselves."

"Steve Rogers." Captain America said, reaching out a hand. Hena took it briefly, staring at him.

"You are not a mortal." she said and he raised his eyebrows slightly "But, at the same time you are. That is very peculiar. And, honestly, really confusing."

"He had some work done." Tony said, also extending a hand "Tony Stark."

"Charming." Hena replied, eyes still flicking back to Captain America.

"Natasha Romanoff." Black Widow said from her seat, sounding friendly. Hena nodded at her with the same amount of kindness.

"Bruce Banner." Banner said with a small wave.

Hena stared briefly at him, the same way she had with Captain America, but she didn't ask any questions. She smiled and waved just the same.

"And the rest of you are from Asgard?" she asked.

They all nodded in response before Fandral stepped forward.

"Fandral." he said, with a dashing smile "Pleased to meet you."

"And you." Hena replied evenly.

The rest of the warriors introduced themselves one by one, none of them quite as flirtaciously as Fandral, but that didn't seem to bother the Asgardian man at all.

"And you're Thor." Hena said, looking the God of Thunder "At least I hope so or Loki lied to me."

"Me?" Loki asked from her side "I hardly think that's fair. Either way, would you be surprised if I had?"

"Yes, actually, I would." Hena replied with clearly exaggerated irritation. Her tone made him break into a small smile and he looked down at the ground for a moment. Then Hena returned her eyes to Thor with a smile.

"Yes, I am Thor." he replied with a careful nod.

"Ha." Hena said towards Loki "Well, it is good to meet everyone. I'm Hena Anaheim, princess of Anaheim. Magic is my speciality, but I can fight if it needs be so don't be worried about that. And my dad would love to help out where he can, so just let me know what you need. I can communicate with my parents at any moment."

"We will then." Captain America said, leaning forward from the wall "Thank you."

"Absolutely." Hena replied cheerfully.

####

Small red sparks flew into the air from the fire a way off from the house. It was a very clear night. The stars were clearly visible, especially with the moon absent.

Thor watched the group sitting around the fire silently, eyes contemplative. Just like he had said, Valder had returned for a celebration. Svleiva, Hena, and several other people Thor did not recognize were gathered together. From the house, he could only hear quiet singing, but it was obviously joyous. There were a few of the guards Valder had brought earlier with them, playing drums softly. Someone else was playing a small instrument that looked similar to a flute.  
Loki was sitting beside Valder and Hena, joining in with the soft voices with a peaceful expression. That was probably the most intriguing part of it all.

Sif came and stood beside Thor, her face resting in its usually unemotional form. The God of Thunder glanced at her and then nodded to knowledge her presence.

"How are you?" she asked, with obvious concern.

Thor smiled slightly at the floor "It seems that I am not as good at hiding my emotions as I used to be."

"Not trying rather." Sif replied with a small chuckle "Besides, you were never good at it anyway."

"But no one ever asked me how I was back then." Thor said.

"Perhaps they should have." Sif said.

Thor stood up straighter "Or perhaps as the future king of Asgard, I should not be as open."

"A strong king does not need to be impassive with their emotions." Sif reminded him.

"No, but he must control then." Thor replied.

"You do, but you extend much to others." Sif said "It is an admirable trait."

Thor took a deep breath as he looked back up at the warriors of Anaheim. Valder was on his feet now, standing in front of Svleiva. He offered a hand to her and the queen rose to her feet and took it. One hand on her waist, he took her closer to the fire, where the two of them began to dance to slowly quickening music.

Hena began to clap with the beat of the drum, smiling at her parents. Loki and then the others joined her until the clapping almost overtook the drums.

Again, the glazed look returned to Thor's eyes as he stared over. It almost appeared like pain, but something a little bit more complex.

"Do you believe them?" Sif asked quietly.

Thor nodded "Odin confirmed their existence. He knows little, other than they are peaceful. He will be coming to see for himself at some point."

"But you think they'll help us?" Sif asked.

"They will attempt to negate any conflict. I hope they will consider joining us in battle if the time arises." Thor returned his eyes to the fire. He was surprised to see that Loki and Hena had joined her parents. He hadn't seen who had instigated the dance, but he wished he would have. It looked like a dance traditional to Anaheim.

From this distance, Hena appeared to be laughing, head tilted up slightly. Thor didn't have to look closely to see that his brother was smiling. As they neared, Valder and Loki switched places, each taking the hand of the other woman for a moment and then returning to their original partner.

 **This is the chapter I have been so excited for a very long time. For those of you worried that it will change how the story is, it will not. Don't worry. Trust me, there is a good plan in place. I haven't let you down so far, have I? ;)**


	23. Rekindling

Captain America stared down at his shield, eyes fairly distant as he thought of something else. The star still had a scrape across it from where a particularly large frost giant had hit it, but the surrounding paint was fine.

He could hear Nathaniel and Cooper outside; they were both shouting at one another. It had warmed back up that morning, especially now that the sun was out.

Banner walked past his door, glancing in at Captain America. He paused and took a few steps back.

"Hey. Uh. You okay?" he asked.

Captain America looked over at him and it took him a second to respond.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." he stepped away from the shield and joined Banner in the hallway.

"Natasha keeps tryin' to convince Hawkeye that we need to leave here." Banner said "But he's not having it."

"Not surprised." Captain America said with a scoff that was partially amused and irritated.

They started walking down the stairs, conversation falling silent. Captain America's eyebrows went up as he looked up and saw Hena by the window. She was brushing her hair with a decorative bristle brush as she looked out the window. As she heard the footsteps, she turned fully towards them.

"Good morning." she said with a smile.

Captain America paused for a moment before nodding slightly "Good morning."

She glanced back towards the window and then continued brushing her hair after a moment.

Captain America shared a glance with Banner, before walking into the kitchen where Hawkeye was getting Lila a snack.

"Any word from SHIELD?" he asked quietly.

"Concerning what?" Hawkeye asked.

"The scepter." Captain America said.

"They still don't know we have it, if that's what you mean." Hawkeye replied plainly. Thor glanced over at them and then looked back at Hena. Her hands were behind her head, twisting a portion of her hair into a braid. Then she wrapped it into a circle so it sat on the back of her head like a bun and the rest of her hair hung down her back. As she turned, Thor quickly averted his eyes, turning them towards the kitchen.

Hena then walked over and out of the door. Loki was right outside, still reading his book. She stopped and looked at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Loki looked up and then glanced away for a quick second "What do you mean?"

"Let's go out there." Hena said, gesturing into the field. The ice pile from their battle with the frost giants was still on the ground, slowly melting. The cooling weather definitely wasn't helping it to go away.

"I am reading." Loki replied. There wasn't technically any sarcasm in his voice, but the matter of fact tone inferred it.

"I know, I also enjoy reading. But not right now." Hena said with the same light tone "Come out here."

"You are saying it as if you asked me to do it already." Loki replied. He slowly shut his book and then held out an arm towards the steps of the porch. She immediately smiled and started her way down. Loki followed her after a moment, hand cupped around the book at his side.

Both Thor and Captain America watched them in silence and then the soldier spotted Tony outside working with the scepter.

"What the hell is he doing?" Captain America asked, beginning to walk over in irritation.

"He wanted to make sure that SHIELD doesn't have a way to keep tabs on it." Hawkeye said from behind them in the kitchen. Captain America stopped and glanced back.

"Don't worry." Hawkeye said, tossing a towel onto the kitchen counter and then leaning on it "I did the same thing."

Captain America let out an amused sigh "Yeah, well, maybe he's right. And it's better safe than sorry right now."

"At least you don't owe him an apology." Hawkeye replied.

"You know, I probably do." Captain America said with a hint of a smile.

"Well, it's still most likely his fault." Hawkeye replied. Banner leaned to see Tony and then made his way out the door.

"I forgot she was here." Captain America said, gesturing after Hena.

"Hena?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yes." Captain America said "That's another thing I need to talk to Stark about. Her father wasn't even going to let her stay if he hadn't chimed in."

"True." Hawkeye conceded "Have you noticed she has this weird glow around her?"

"Oh good." Captain America said, looking at him in surprise "So I'm not crazy."

"Yeah, she, like, shines almost." Hawkeye replied. He looked at Thor "Do you see it?"

"Yes." Thor replied plainly "But she is a magical being so I don't think it is significant."

Hawkeye shrugged, mostly with his eyebrows.

A moment later, Thor walked past Captain America and out onto the porch. He was watching Tony and Banner check on the scepter, but his eyes wandered over to Hena and Loki. His younger brother stared at her in amusement as she mimiced something. Then she shrugged. The God of Mischief nodded at her and then replied briefly. His book was back open now. Hena shrugged, spreading her arms wide. Thor watched Loki with a solemn, yet thoughtful expression as he conversed with her. Hena rose up to her toes to peer at his book. She balanced for a moment before Loki lowered his arms. She immediately went back down with an indignant scowl and pushed his arms back up, making him laugh for a moment.

* * *

Cooper and Nathaniel were both swinging their swords into the ice, seeing how much ice they could chip away at a time. For once, Coooer was allowing Nathaniel to brag without flaunting his own skills. Hena watched them with raised eyebrows and pursed lips.

"So what are you guys doing to stop the dark beings?" Hena asked, glancing over at Loki. He looked up and then tilted his head quizzically.

"Which ones do you mean?"

Hena pulled her head back slightly, eyes opening a bit "There's more than one?"

"Well...yes." Loki replied "There's the frost giants trying to invade Earth as one."

"Frost giants aren't dark beings." Hena said, her voice questioning "You know who I am talking about."

"You were the one who inferred it was plural." Loki responded, looking down at her in amusement.

"Yes, I suppose I did." Hena said "But I meant it as a group. I refer to Asgard as plural too."

"Ah." Loki replied, sounding very patient. However, he didn't continue.

"Ah? Ah, what?" Hena asked in exasperation.

"At the moment we are not doing much. Odin has ordered Thor to fend off the frost giants and the frost giants only." Loki replied "So we've waited. And waited some more."

"I can't tell if you are pleased with that or not." Hena said in response. Then she leaned and gestured at his neck "What bastard did that?"

Loki glanced at her briefly and then took a big breath in.

"One of the worst ones there is." he said.

"Not one of these guys, right?" Hena asked, waving back at the house.

Loki let out a breathy laugh "No. Not them."

"Good. I would've gone and beat them." Hena replied.

Loki smiled down at his book "You probably could too."

Hena turned to face him, arms folded "Alright, I have a feeling there is some sort of an insult somewhere in there."

"There is not." Loki objected lightly, eyes amused.

"I think it goes along the lines of 'Hena is so small they wouldn't even try to defend themselves.'" she replied.

Loki looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Wow."

"What?" Hena asked.

"For someone who has a hard time reading my mind, you certainly picked up my thought process there."

Hena opened her mouth indignantly and started hitting him on the arm. Loki leaned away, laughing as he vaguely defended himself.

"Okay, okay!" he said "I'm joking, goodness."

"I don't think you were." Hena replied, eyes serious.

"Yes, I was. We've sparred before, remember?"

"Mhm." Hena said, still sounding disgruntled. Then she let out a deep breath.

"Do you want help to heal it?"

Loki shook his head slightly "No. But thank you."

"Are you sure?" Hena asked "Because I feel like you would have done it by now if you could."

"They heal on their own after a while." Loki replied, echoing his words to Thor.

Hena let it go at that and didn't try to convince him any further, despite her curiosity.

She ran a hand through her long hair before pushing it behind her shoulders. She currently wore a light brown and green dress that was lined with armor around the wrists, chest, and waist, making her look even more tiny. There were strands of fabric that hung off that she kept wrapping around her hands absentmindedly.

"Why are you trying to read my mind?" Loki asked, without looking up at her.

Hena's shoulders dropped slightly as she relaxed her attempt to see his thoughts. She scowled.

"Because I don't want to see what you're thinking, that's why."

"Hm." Loki raised his chin slightly in acknowledgement "Well, currently, I'm thinking about this book."

"You never let me see what you're thinking." Hena replied "It's a little bit frustrating, to be honest."

In fact, Loki was the only person she had ever come into contact with that she couldn't read unless he let her. It wasn't hard to read passing thoughts, but she could only get deep with physical contact. Memories were still relatively easy though.

"I am sorry." Loki said, glancing at her. Hena kicked at him and he leaned away slightly, eyebrows going up.

"You're being sarcastic." she said. Suddenly her eyes opened wide and seemed slightly fearful for a moment.

"Whoa. What is that?"

Loki turned and looked up to see an Ironman suit heading towards the general area of the house. His eyebrows went up for a moment.

"Oh. One of Stark's suits he wears." he said.

Hena smiled "Stark? What is this? You're on a last name basis?"

Loki's eyes flicked over in her direction for a moment with a small smile.

Hena looked at him, almost as if waiting for an actual response, but then returned her eyes to the metal humanoid figure. It landed a bit off from the house and she immediately began walking towards it.

"Midgard is very weird." she said, but her eyes were slightly fascinated, if not laughing. Loki raised one eyebrow and then shut his book softly before following her. She easily caught up with the machine, eyes scowling slightly.

Thor watched her as he stepped outside the house. It still baffled him at how small she was, even compared to Hawkeye and Tony. For a being who wasn't mortal, this was quite peculiar. Not that there weren't smaller Asgardian women, but this woman from Anaheim appeared so fragile. However, her demeanor showed nothing of the sort. Once the suit had deactivated, Hena's eyes narrowed and then she glanced away. Instead, she looked at the scepter. She began to walking in its direction, head tilted a bit. Oddly enough, the glow of the sceptor almost seemed to intensify as she got closer. Thor frowned slightly.

Then Loki extended an arm in front of the princess of Anaheim lightly, seeming to appear beside her.

"It might be best if you stayed away from that." he said, his voice mild.

Hena looked up at him "Why?"

"I'd just rather you didn't go near it." Loki responded.

Hena glanced back at the scepter for a moment before letting out a deep breath and nodding slightly. She turned back towards the front door and Loki lowered his arm. Thor watched slightly and then Hena looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"So this is the great Mjolnir?" she asked, nodding at his hammer.

Thor glanced down at it, then back at her "Yes."

"Mind if I try something?" Hena asked.

"With it?" Thor asked, sounding fairly surprised.

The princess nodded back and the God of Thunder hesitated a moment before walking down the steps towards her. Loki watched with a mildly interested expression.

Thor stopped in front of her and Hena took one step back.

"Will you set it down?" she asked.

Thor scowled slightly, but he let Mjolnir drop to the ground. Hena jumped at the loud bang and gave Thor an intense stare down.

"Why would you do that?" she asked "I said set it down, not throw it at the ground."

"It was getting too heavy for him." Tony pitched in. Apparently he had turned around to watch the interaction. As had several of the others that were previously in the house.

The amusement returned to Hena's face as she slowly crouched down by the hammer. Thor folded his arms slightly as he watched her, not too affected by her rebuke. After a moment, she reached out a hand and put it flat on the weapon. Volstagg tilted his head slightly, confused.

The spot under Hena's hand dimly glowed gold and then Mjolnir suddenly began to hum. It slowly began to get louder and louder and vibrated intensely. Thor watched, obviously shocked until Hena removed her hand in a swift movement. She smiled slightly and glanced up at Loki. He raised his eyebrows back at her.

"How did you do that?" Thor asked. Hena turned to him.

"I can amplify power." she replied "And this has a massive reservoir." Then she stood up, examining Thor's face.

"Amplify power?" Volstagg echoed, walking down the steps "In what manner?"

"Well, like Mjolnir." Hena said "It doesn't work as well when I can't use the power for anything. But I can amplify magic extremely well. Like Loki's, for example." she turned to the God of Mischief and looked briefly surprised for a moment as she gazed up at him.

"Oh my goodness, it feels like you've doubled in height since we saw each other." she said, shaking her head slightly at him. Loki's eyebrows went up in amusement.

"Well, I certainly have not." he replied.

"Okay, but you've grown taller for sure. I remember how tall you were." Hena said.

"I don't doubt it." Loki replied.

Hena glanced back at Volstagg "Anyway, I can strengthen his powers really easily. Natural power is a lot easier to deal with than artificial power."

"What would be considered artificial power?" Volstagg asked.

Hena lifted an arm and pointed at the Ironman suit "Things like that."

Tony followed her gaze and then looked back at her.

"And, I don't know, Loki's power is just most similar to mine." Hena continued.

"So, is that where the whole mind reading and connection thing comes into play?" Tony asked "You know, amplifying the power of their brain or something?"

Hena regarded him for a moment "No. Most people don't have any power to increase in the first place. I mean, no offense."

"You can just tell me I'm a useless piece of crap, it's okay." Tony replied "Give it to me straight."

"No, I didn't say that!" Hena said indignantly "Just because you don't have magic doesn't mean you're useless."

Behind her, Loki shrugged slightly, almost so no one would have noticed. But Hena looked back and waved a hand at him.

"Stop it. That's mean." she returned her eyes to Tony "My whole family can read minds. It's just kind of been inherited. We can also sense emotions."

"That must be burdensome." Volstagg said, raising his eyebrow curiously.

Hena shrugged "No. You learn to separate your own feelings from others. My parents blocked that part of my power when I was young. They're doing the same for Mazi now as well."

"Interesting. I suppose that would be wise." Volstagg replied.

"Do you have children?" Hena asked.

"Uh, wouldn't you already know that if you can read minds?" Tony asked with clear feigned innocence.

Hena shook her head before she spoke.

"No, I really try not to be invasive. It also takes effort." she replied.

"Oh." Tony said trying to sound as if he genuinely learned something. Hena looked back at Volstagg.

"Yes, I do." the warrior responded.

Hena smiled slightly and then took a deep breath as she looked at the others. Tony raised his eyebrows briefly and then turned around to walk towards the house. Thor was still looking at Hena and then back at his hammer.

"Did you find anything, Stark?" Captain America asked, breaking the silence.

Hena blinked at him for a moment, but she didn't say anything.

"No. Not a damn thing." Tony replied "Which I'm still not quite convinced is true, but no. I didn't find anything."

Captain America just raised his eyebrows for a moment before nodding. Then he turned around and walked back into the house.

"Oh my goodness." Hena said "You all do it."

"What?" Loki asked.

"You call each other by your last names." she replied.

Loki smiled slightly "It's not actually that rare of an occurance."

"Well it is very unusual to me. It's like someone calling me 'Anaheim'. Or calling you 'Odinson.'"

"Actually, it is not very much like that at all." Loki replied. Hena looked over at him with a tilted head at the same time as Thor.

"Oh yes. I forgot you don't like that." she said, looking back away "But I don't even know what to call you. You don't like Odinson. You get _offended_ when I call you Laufeyson. So I don't even know what to call you."

"Loki will do." the God of Mischief responded. Thor's eyes widened as she used his biological father's name so lightly, but Loki didn't react how he expected.

"Maybe I'll just call you by your mother's name." Hena said "Because you like her. Friggason. Sounds lovely."

"It doesn't work like that." Loki replied with a hint of amusement.

"Why not?" Hena asked, obviously trying her best to be difficult.

"It just doesn't." Loki replied.

"Of course not." Hena said "But you seem to be defying a lot of other rules, so I think I can call you that. I mean, I could call you by my father's name, but you'll probably say 'it doesn't work like that.'"

Loki just smirked slightly, but he didn't say anything.

"What?" Hena demanded.

"It doesn't." Loki said smartly.

Hena rolled her eyes and shook her head. She kicked an irritated leg out at him, scowling.

"It's just not what I am used to." she said "In Anaheim, our family just keeps the name of the realm."

"I believe you actually complained about that the last time I saw you." Loki replied, looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes...well." Hena said, blew out a deep breath "Apparently, I ought not to complain."

Loki nodded slightly and she glanced back at the children for a moment.

* * *

"You don't think they have this place under surveillance, do you?" Banner asked, lightly tapping a pen once on the stack of papers sitting on the table before setting it down.

"No, definitely not." Hawkeye said "Fury helped me get this all set up. And I trust him. We have definitely given it a thorough search many times."

"How recently?" Banner asked.

"In the past year or so." Hawkeye replied "Why?"

"SHIELD doesn't seem to respect anyone's privacy." Banner said.

"Is that a sly insult in my direction?" Black Widow asked with a small smile "Because I'm the one who came and got you from Calcutta?"

"No, I don't blame you." Banner replied.

"But I definitely sense some bitterness there." Tony said. He shrugged "That's okay. It's to be expected."

"No, I just want to make sure we aren't broadcasting the details of our situation to everyone." Banner went on "Because I don't trust that Fury would really leave any one of us alone."

"Yes, he actually bugged Thor's room on Asgard." Tony replied. He closed his eyes with a small shake of his head "Signal is fantastic."

"There are very few people who know about this place." Hawkeye said "Only those who have met Laura. Fury told me he would leave them out of anything that should come up and I just trust him. He knows Laura, they're friends, so I don't think he'd put her in danger."

Banner just nodded in return. Hawkeye began walking towards the door as he saw his kids walking up the porch steps. Laura had called them in for lunch several minutes ago and they were just now getting around to it.

"What is her name again?" Cooper asked as soon as he came in the door.

"Her out there?" Hawekeye asked, gesturing outside. Cooper nodded quickly.

"Hena." Hawkeye replied.

"She looks like an angel." Nathaniel reported. Hawkeye's eyebrows went up at that.

"Kid's not wrong." Tony said.

"Like, she shines." Cooper added, causing Captain America to scowl over at Tony.

"Yes, you're right, she does." Hawkeye replied, glancing back as Laura beckoned the boys over into the kitchen. Cooper high fived Black Widow as he went by.

"How in the world did you manage to keep all of this a secret?" Banner asked under his breath, looking around the house as if he didn't really expect an answer.

"I make a lot of trips every month." Hawkeye replied.

"You must write off a lot of travel expenses on your taxes." Tony said, tilting his head "What's the going rate for a SHIELD operative these days?"

Black Widow smirked over at him as though she had a witty comeback planned, but then she glanced down at her cell phone. Tony leaned to see as she stood up and put it to her ear.

"Director." she said, smiling even though Fury couldn't hear her "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She moved around the table and began walking towards the door.

"Yes, actually, we did have a rather esteemed guest visit." she replied dryly "From the way he spoke, I assumed you wouldn't have known."

"I'm offended on Fury's behalf." Tony said, raising a hand slightly "He knows everything."

Captain America put a finger to his lips briefly with a scowl as he tried to listen.

"Yes." Black Widow lowered her phone, apparently done with the phone call.

"That was...fast. What did he want?" Hawkeye asked.

"He wants us to meet with him. In town." Black Widow replied "And by us, I mean you and me."

"But what did he say?" Captain America asked.

"Councilman Malick and him had a chat apparently and Fury would like us to check in. SHIELD suspects us of stealing the scepter." Black Widow said with a small, slightly peeved smile.

"And are you planning on going?" Captain America asked.

"It would be more suspicious if we didn't." Black Widow responded.

"They are very needy." Tony said dryly.

Hawkeye didn't say anything, but he walked past him up the stairs. Black Widow waited for a few minutes and then he appeared at the top again, his bow in his hands.

"You're not leaving that for us?" Tony asked.

"Call if anything happens." Hawkeye said, glancing at Captain America.

"They'll be okay, Hawkeye." the soldier replied, looking at him.

"Yes, even Loki seems to be on your family's side." Tony said.

"I didn't say they wouldn't be okay, I said call me if anything happens." Hawkeye replied "Come on Natasha." he turned to walk out the door and Black Widow hesitated a moment before following him.

Thor watched them, face obviously questioning because Hawkeye spoke to him briefly before heading down the porch steps.

Both Nathaniel and Cooper immediately noticed that he was heading for the vehicle and began running over to him. They still had their swords in their hands and had to throw them to the side to give him a hug. He patted them with a small smile and apparently informed them he would be back in a while because then they backed off and picked up their swords again.  
Black Widow waved at them as she walked around the car.

Hena and Loki were in their line of sight and both glanced over as the SHIELD agents got in the car to leave. Then, Hena walked over to the the Anaheimien guards. The Asgardian men stood a bit closer to the scepter than them. Thor watched her, head tilted thoughtfully as she spoke to her guards like friends.

* * *

The temperature had dropped quite a bit by the time Black Widow and Hawkeye returned. A cold breeze blew by as they walked up to the house. The porch lights didn't illuminate the area surrounding the house very well, but Loki was still outside. He seemed to prefer being outdoors at night. The guards weren't far off from him, but they were facing the other way.

As they walked into the house, Captain America looked over from his spot by the kitchen. He stopped leaning against the wall as if he was expecting them to report something, but Hawkeye looked past him into the kitchen. Laura and Hena were in there talking together at the moment.

"Are the kids asleep?" he asked.

Laura leaned to see him "Yes, they are."

Tony's eyebrows went up "That sounds like you have something really grave to tell us that you don't want them to hear."

"No, just being a parent." Hawkeye replied with a small sarcastic nod at him.

"What did he have to say?" Captain America asked, cutting to the chase.

"He asked us the same thing as Malick did." Hawkeye replied "Except, I think he was expecting us to tell him something different."

"To be honest, I was thinking about doing it." Black Widow responded, folding her arms with a small smirk "You never know, SHIELD could be extremely helpful."

"SHIELD could be, you're right." Tony said "But they won't be. Not right now."

"They'll probably be off of our scent for a little while. I don't really know if he believed us, but he didn't try to dig any deeper." Hawkeye replied.

"Good." Captain America said "Until we get word from Asgard, they shouldn't know anything about it."

Thor blinked at him with a little bit of surprise as the solider had been so resistant of Asgard's lead before.

Hena began walking out of the kitchen, eyes scowling slightly. There was no way she hadn't heard their conversation, but she appeared more intent on something else. After she walked over to the door, she leaned her head out, keeping everything else inside.

"Loki!" she called, her voice lightly anxious.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, sounding much closer than her yell would have warranted.

"Oh, sorry." Hena apologized, with a small laugh "Why are you still outside? You're going to get killed out there."

Thor's eyebrows went up and several of the others shared a questioning glance for a moment.

"I forgot you don't like the dark." Loki's muffled voice came again.

"No, I really don't. Something could be coming to grab you and you wouldn't even know it." Hena replied "Besides, it's getting cold and you're going to freeze out there."

"Me? I think I am fairly immune." Loki asked, his voice lightly humored. Hena paused for a moment.

"Okay, fine, that was stupid, but really, you should come inside." she said.

The God of Mischief replied something, but it was inaudible to everyone except for Hena.

"Loki. You are testing my patience!" she said, pulling back inside the house.

"What patience?" Loki appeared in the doorway as he closed his book. Hena turned to him immediately and he took a step to the side quickly, hands up.

"I'm joking, I'm joking." he said quickly, eyes slightly amused, but also relatively serious.

Hena looked at him dubiously for a moment and then slowly turned away. Once her back was to him, she smiled as if just barely hanging onto a laugh. Loki watched her walk away before opening his book back up.

Fandral and Volstagg shared a look, as if wondering the same thing.

"Right." Hawkeye said, returning to their conversation "SHIELD obviously has some uneasiness, so we'll need to be careful if we go in public again."

"Oh." Tony spoke to him with a slightly dramatized sound of relief "Thank you for saying that. I was getting ready to make a public announcement, but now that you said that, I'll make sure I don't."

 **Please review my lovelies :)**


	24. Making Ground

As he spoke to Fandral and Volstagg, Thor glanced over towards the yard every few seconds. Loki and Hena were sparring near the ice pile that had still yet to melt. He didn't seem to be able to concentrate on the conversation with his friends with the two of them out there.

"Thor." Fandral said and the God of Thunder looked back at him.

"Is Odin coming to meet them?" his friend asked, referring to Hena and the others of Anaheim. He had changed the subject, but no one seemed bothered to mention it.

"I believe he will." Thor replied with a nod "I don't know when. He hasn't said."

Loki and Hena were both fighting with long thin knives and moving with incredible speed. They flowed from being on the offensive to defensive very smoothly. Loki would lean back to avoid Hena's very well timed lash and then she ducked out of the way of his. They appeared very familiar with each other's techniques.

"Should we return to Asgard in the meantime?" Volstagg asked. Thor shook his head.  
"No. Not yet."

"There haven't been any signs of another attack." Volstagg reminded him "We might be useful elsewhere."

"We came very close to losing one of our own last time because there weren't enough of us here to defend this home." Thor replied "I don't want that to happen again."

"Who knew that Loki being a frost giant would ever be an advantage to us." Fandral said, putting one hand casually on the sword strapped to his side. Then he paused "I don't mean that how it sounded."

"I know." Thor replied.

"I am still surprised that you were able to hold off as many frost giants as you did before we arrived." Fandral said "There were only two of you."

"It wasn't just Loki and I. Fortunately." Thor responded "Otherwise we could have lost a few of the others."

"Yes, the metal man and Captain America can fight." Volstagg said with a few nods "They seem formidable. You do have a rather unique group of friends here."

"But don't worry." Thor said, placing a hand on his shoulder "They can't take the place of my friends on Asgard."

"I wasn't worried." Volstagg assured him.

"Well. Perhaps you were a little bit." Fandral said, glancing at him. Volstagg opened his mouth to protest, but a small amount of commotion in the field cut him off. Loki and Hena stopped fighting for a moment as the two of them exchanged words. One of them must have won that round. Soon enough they started up again.

Sif and Hogun were also out in the field by the pile of unmelting ice, clearly examining it.

"Hopefully the frost giants saw that they had no battle to win here." Fandral said "I'd much rather fight them with fewer mortals around myself."

"Agreed." Volstagg said "Honestly only because I'm worried I will hurt them in the process of killing frost giants."

Hena's knife suddenly caught the side of Loki's lower arm, leaving a nice clean cut. She immediately pulled back to stop the two of them from fighting.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she said, teeth pressed together in a nervous expression.

"It's alright." Loki replied, only looking down at it briefly "We're sparring. It's bound to happen sooner or later."

"Yes, but you never cut me." Hena asked, eyes guilty and narrowed at the same time "I feel bad. You don't have to be as careful as you are."

Loki just looked back at her with raised eyebrows "Alright."

"That sounded like it had sarcasm behind it." Hena said.

"Not at all." Loki replied. She still looked unconvinced after this, judging by her expression.

"We need to do something with that." she said, gesturing at his arm. Loki glanced down at it briefly, rotating his arm to see all of it.

"I'm alright." he said.

"You're bleeding." Hena maintained with a bit of indignation.

"It's alright." Loki replied.

"Yes, it's alright, but are you the most comfortable you could be?" Hena inquired.

Loki just shook his head at the ground, trying not to smile. Hena leaned down to see his expression.

"Yes. Thank you." Loki replied very clearly "I am fine."

"The attack is finally on the news." Hawkeye's voice came from inside the house. Thor glanced back and then turned to walk in. Hena looked after him, even though she wasn't close enough to hear anything. She looked over at Loki and seemed to ask a question.

"Are they seriously going to broadcast that to the world?" Captain America asked, walking over to Hawkeye with an uncharacteristic lack of urgency.

The SHIELD agent stared at the T.V. with folded arms and expectant eyes.

"They aren't giving up SHIELD, but they are offering a reward to anyone who can shed light on what happened." he said "Probably Fury's idea. Trying to get some video footage."

"Would there be any?" Captain America asked.

"Only if Tony's interference failed." Banner said.

"Or someone had a camera nearby." Tony added "And now days that isn't too uncommon."

"They're trying to get some dirt on us." Captain America said "How many of them know about Loki?"

"Only Fury." Hawkeye replied.

"Do you think he believes Loki took the scepter?" Thor asked.

"Fury did ask, but we provided an alibi." Hawkeye assured him "Even so, it isn't like Fury doesn't know Loki could have vanished from our sight for a moment without us noticing. He'll be suspicious for a while."

"We'll need to get this scepter to a safer location." Captain America said "Preferably to Asgard if possible."

"I will tell the guards to send word to Odin when they return home." Thor replied "But I wouldn't count on that happening at the moment."

"Well, do what you can." Captain America said. Thor nodded slightly and turned around to go talk to the guards right then. Volstagg hadn't fully entered the house after Thor, so he simply backed up to follow his friend when he came out.

"Speaking off that attack, I seem to be the only one who was surprised that Loki stopped you from being taken by those beings?" Volstagg asked.

"What?" Fandral asked in surprise.

"I will explain in a moment." Volstagg said, then returned his eyes to Thor "Are you?"

The God of Thunder shook his head slightly and paused a moment before responding "No. He had to protect the scepter."

"Yes, but why?" Volstagg asked "If those things were sent by Thanos, Loki should have been happy for them to take it. In theory."

"If those things were sent by Thanos." Thor echoed "We assumed they were, but we don't know that. I will seek answers from Loki."

"Perhaps that would be best." Volstagg replied "It is something to think about."

Thor nodded "I agree. It's good question to ask. They looked similar to Chitari, but they may be entirely different." Then he took a deep breath "They didn't attack Loki either." he left the conversation at that and headed down the stairs. Volstagg then began to explain exactly what had happened during the attack on the SHIELD base.

Hena was walking in the direction of the house, staring at the frost giant ice as she passed by.

Thor watched her from the corner of his eye as well, curious. She saw him and raised one hand to wave. Thor waved slightly in return, but he didn't smile like she did. That didn't appear to bother Hena because she went right back to looking at the ice. After a moment, she stepped onto it with one foot. Sif was watching her with a bit of a scowl, but she didn't say anything to her.

Hena had both of her feet on the ice now, just standing and looking down at her reflection.

"Ice is slow incredibly slick." she said.

"Yes, it is. Be careful." Loki replied.

"I've only seen ice one other time in my life." Hena said, looking up at him with a tiny bit of excitement in her eyes "But I've never been on it."

"How is that possible?" Sif asked, as if genuinely curious.

"Our weather is very controlled on Anaheim." Hena explained "We've only had snow once in my lifetime."

Sif's eyebrows went up briefly even though Hena didn't notice. The Anaheimien woman walked down a little farther and beckoned at Loki to come onto the ice with her.

"Come on!" she said.

The God of Mischief shook his head slightly "No, thank you."

"Oh, come on, please?" Hena begged "I'll fall without someone steadying me."

"You have much better balance than that." Loki said.

"When I need it. This is just for fun." Hena replied, beckoning him.

"I'll hold your hand from here." Loki responded with a small smile.

"Fine." Hena conceded and held out her hand to him. He took it as she began to let her feet slide. For a few moments, she was remained in the same spot, but then she began to drift farther into the ice.

Loki was leaning out slightly to make sure she didn't fall still. However, the inevitable finally happened and she began to slip out of control. She grabbed Loki with her other hand, almost pulling him down too since he now had one foot on the ice. Hena half-squealed, more out of amusement and surprise than anything else. Loki barely managed to keep his balance and prevent her from hitting the ground at the same time. After a second, he carefully pulled her back to her feet so both of them didn't end up on the ground.

"Graceful." he said.

"Well, you're a Jotun, I thought you would have natural instinct on ice!" Hena replied indignantly.

"There's no ice on Asgard!" Loki responded irritably, holding her steady "Now, will you please get off the ice before we both end up on the ground?"

Hena stepped off the reflective surface and Loki let of her.

"If that wasn't so cold, I would believe it was glass." Hena said, still peering at it. The ice had yet to melt at all in the past few days.

Hena tapped on the ice one more time. Then she turned back so she was facing the house. Her face appeared slightly distracted for a moment. Thor had finished speaking with the guards and looked over. It looked like Hena was staring at him, but after a moment, she turned back to Loki.

"My father is wondering if Odin would like to meet with him." she said. To the untrained eye, that would have seemed like a random statement. But, it was easy to spot telepathic communication once you were aware it existed.

"I suspect so." Loki replied "We can ask Thor for certain."

Hena glanced at him, eyes warm "He seems very kind."

"Yes. Now." the God of Mischief responded. She turned to him and observed his face for a moment, arms folded.

"You don't like that." she said.

Loki glanced at her for a moment and then looked ahead again "It's not that necessarily. Everyone knows him as he is now. No one cares what he was before."

"I can see what he was before." Hena said with a mischievous smile.

"I know you can." Loki assured her.

"It's the same way with you." Hena said, her voice sympathetic "You think people only see you now that everything has happened. Not how you were before."

Loki didn't reply to that. They stood in silence for a moment before she looked over at him.

"Well, for what it's worth, I still think of you as the Loki I have always known. If you give it some time, Thor will too."

Loki raised one eyebrow at her, eyes more amused than before.

"I doubt that."

"Why?" Hena asked with a smile "It's already happening." she glanced briefly at the house "I know what you did. For Hawkeye. Or Barton, whatever you want to call him. That doesn't seem like something they would forget."

Loki was quiet for several seconds "Hm." he muttered, without much enthusiasm "That's not what I'm supposed to be."

"And what are you supposed to be?" Hena asked "You don't have to live up to be the monster you think you are. Frost giants aren't monsters. Frankly, it irritates me that you all have such a horrid perception of them. They probably live in a community just like Asgardians. They, and you, are capable of compassion."

Loki stayed silent at the words and after a moment just gave a small, acknowledging nod at her, the emotion he really felt covered by another. Hena stared him for a moment, aware that he wasn't quite convinced, but she didn't press it any further.

* * *

Later that afternoon, when the Asgardian soldiers had rotated their shifts, Thor had sought the reply from Odin about the scepter.

Unfortunately, the king was not as helpful as they wanted. He still opposed the scepter coming to Asgard. At first, Hawkeye had been very irritated with that, but the guards had continued to explain.

Keeping Asgard out of the conflict as long as possible would help to ensure their advantage over the dark beings at any given time. When they inevitably attacked, whether it be Midgard or any other realm, they might not be expecting Asgard to come to their aid as quickly as they would.

"But then again, there's always the chance that they attack and Asgard doesn't come in time." Banner said. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Then we'll just call a Code Green and wait it out." Tony replied.

"You forget that we have an all-seeing watchman." Volstagg replied to him "If anything happens on Earth, Asgard will be the first to know."

"Does he get alerts on his binoculars telling him where to look?" Tony asked dryly "Not that I'm protesting. The scepter seems fine where it is. In fact, we seem to be having less trouble now that it's here. Perhaps there was something to blocking it's existence from the rest of the universe."

"Loki said it was not that simple." Thor replied "But, I do agree that the attacks have lessened since we retrieved it."

They quieted slightly as Hena came up the steps to the door. As she came in, she looked around, obviously worried about interrupting something.

"Sorry." she began hesitantly.

"No worries, come in." Hawkeye said, beckoning her.

Hena stepped into the house "I was actually coming in to talk to Laura."

Hawkeye turned and gestured at the stairs "She's up there with Lila."

Hena nodded slightly "Thanks."

They all maintained their silence for a moment as she went up the stairs. Thor watched her in particular, arms folded. He then leaned to look out the window. Loki still stood outside.

"Laura makes all sorts of friends doesn't she?" Tony asked. He shrugged "It's good. It's very very good. Gods and goddesses on your side, There's nothing wrong with that. Works for this group. Right, buddy?" he placed a hand on Thor's shoulder. The God of Thunder glanced at him.

"Yes, yes of course."

"What's on your mind, Thor?" Captain America asked.

"Oh, Volstagg and I were just talking over a few things. I'm going to ask Loki if those beings that attacked us are of the Chitari." he said.

"My vote is on yes." Tony replied "Ugly face, weird screech, it's all part of the family."

"Hey." Hawkeye said, holding up a hand slightly to bring the attention to him "I just had a thought. Did Loki ever mention if _he_ serves Thanos? He said that Red Skull did, but he never said anything about himself."

"That's true, but I think that was implied." Captain America said.

 _"Served,_ hopefully." Thor replied, looking at the ground. He glanced back up "I believe he did. He should know if those beings were working with Thanos."

"That could mean Thanos has his eye on us. Right now." Tony said "Pleasant thought."

There was obvious movement upstairs and then Hena appeared on her way down. Thor gestured at the others to wait a moment.

"Hena?" he asked, making her slow before she reached the door. She glanced back expectantly, eyes bright.

"Yes?" she asked, obviously happy to talk.

Thor seemed to check out the window in case Loki should be coming along. Hena followed his gaze and then stepped closer towards him, almost as if wanting him to be aware he could speak freely.

"Your father mentioned when Loki came to Anaheim." Thor began, sounding slightly unsure "I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me about that."

"When we met Loki?" Hena asked and Thor nodded.

"Yes, I can." she replied, her voice vaguely confused "It doesn't need to be a hushed conversation though."

"I would rather Loki didn't know I asked." Thor maintained.

"Alright." Hena replied, without asking why "He came to Anaheim a few years ago. Actually, he fell to Anaheim."

Thor blinked a few times in a row, causing her to pause. However, he didn't say anything so she continued.

"I remember him landing there. I was visiting a family in our kingdom and on my way home. It scared me badly. I could tell he was of Jotunheim immediately."

"How?" Volstagg asked in surprise.

"I can see auras." Hena said "I could also read his mind better then than he allows me to now. It was a bit shocking, I will admit."

"I can understand that. Frost giants are not friendly." Volstagg said.

Hena tilted her head slightly "I had no such experience with them. I wasn't afraid of that. I should hope your apparent hatred wouldn't come across that way if had met him like I did."

"They're our sworn enemies." Sif said, giving her a hard stare "What else would you expect?"

"I believe you only ever fought them once at that time." Hena replied, scowling back at her "Does having history with them make them worth any less?"

"They're monsters!" Sif said sharply. Hena bristled at that, but Thor put out a hand quickly.

"Hena, Hena." he said, voice commanding silence "Please continue."

Hena let out a deep breath, taking her eyes off of Sif and returning them to Thor.

"Well, Loki was obviously surprised and a little angry that I knew about that himself. He asked me where he was. He obviously hadn't expected to survive that fall from the Bifrost. I told him where and then he began to walk away from me. He didn't look like a threat, to be honest, so I stopped him and told him to explain himself. He was hurt and I could tell he was distressed about something. I asked him to explain what happened."

"Hurt badly?" Thor asked.

"No, but I could tell he'd been fighting. I know it was you now." Hena replied, but there was no accusation in her tone "I couldn't even get him to tell me his name at first, but when he finally did, I knew he was from Asgard."

"You'd heard of him?" Thor asked, tilting his head.

"Most realms have heard something about Asgard." Hena said "If you aren't aware, you are the general leader among us. I had heard the name at some point or another. I think our fathers met in the past."

"Yes, I think they have." Thor nodded "My father knows of Anaheim. Sorry, go on."

Hena took in another deep breath "I wanted to know how he got to Anaheim, but he wouldn't tell me. I'm not sure he even knew." she said "He needed a healer, so I took him to one. Although, even that was a struggle."

"You didn't take him to your father?" Fandral asked quizzically.

"No, I brought my father to him." Hena responded "Not that it helped. Loki wouldn't talk to him either. He was very angry at the time. And sad, if you looked hard. I remember being really surprised that my father didn't press him. He just let the healer tend to Loki."

Thor didn't want to interrupt her again, but he was definitely surprised at the difference between how Anaheim and Asgard treated uninvited guests.

"That's how we intitally met him." Hena said "My parents had him to dinner so they could find out other details. We weren't completely ignorant to the fact that he could have been a threat. My father could tell he was a frost giant and Loki knew that. I think my father was actually more impressed at the magic that made Loki appear Asgardian."

"Odin did that." Thor said.

"I know. Loki told us that later." Hena replied "Anyway, we showed Loki somewhere he could rest for the night."

"Did he explain what had happened?" Thor asked curiously.

"Not really. Keep in mind that all of us can see memories though. Loki can stop people from reading his mind, but memories are another matter. Those are a bit more tricky to block because they aren't conscious thoughts." Hena explained "But memories don't tell the story. Nor could we even see everything that happened in such a short amount of time with him."

"Was he confined to those quarters?" Volstagg asked.

"No." Hena said with a small shake of her head "We didn't have a reason to do that. His thoughts showed no malice towards us."

"How long was he on Anaheim?" Thor asked. He glanced back out the window again.

"Around seven months or so." Hena replied.

Thor nodded. So Loki had been with the dark beings the remainder of the two years "You're family obviously became very close."

Hena smiled briefly "Yes. We did. I wasn't sure we would see him again after he left."

"Why did he leave?" Volstagg asked.

"Well." she paused "Loki had studied dark magic and my father mentioned something about the dark beings outside our realm. He regretted saying it immediately because it caught Loki's interest. To put something concrete to things he had studied. I don't believe he left with intentions of never returning."

"He went _to_ them?" Volstagg asked, but he didn't sound angry.

"It's much more complicated than that." Hena replied, voice slightly worried "His agency was not heeded at all times."

"I can speak to you later on the matter. You do not need to speak now." Thor told her. Many of them in the room looked at him in surprise. First because they might have wanted to hear more, but also because the statement had the thoughtfulness of someone well past the maturity of a prince.

Either way, Hena nodded "I cannot see his memories after a certain point. Loki will not allow me in to view them. I know what happened when he left, and then there is his time on Earth. There is no in between that I can breach. But I know that they are there and that they are terrors. Not memories. He made wrong decisions, but you don't know what he's been through."

"He dragged others through a lot too." Captain America muttered. He looked at Hena seriously "He killed people in cold blood."

"I know." Hena replied "He knows that too, just so you are aware. It goes against everything I know, but you don't know the whole story behind it."

No one had a response to that so the room fell silent for several moments. Thor finally stepped forward with a deep breath.

"I must speak to my brother." he said "Not about this, but about the creatures who attacked us while retrieving the scepter."

"Do you want me to come?" Hena asked pointedly.

Thor shook his head "No, I should speak to him alone."

Hena remained where she was as he began to walk past. Her face was slightly more hard than it had been when she first came in.

* * *

Nathaniel and Cooper were both trying their very best to climb a tree close to the house. It didn't have any branches at the bottom for them to grab though, so they were sliding down each time.  
Loki was facing the opposite way of them, reading his book as per usual. Thor approached him silently, contemplating exactly what to say. The God of Mischief turned once he was a few yards away. Obviously he hadn't been expecting Thor. His eyes drifted towards the house for a moment.

"She's inside with Laura." Thor said, answering the question before it was asked.

"I didn't ask." Loki responded "What are you doing out here?"

"I needed to ask you a few questions about those things that attacked us. The ones trying to get the scepter." Thor said. He set his hammer on the ground.

"What about them?" Loki asked.

"Obviously they looked like the Chitari." Thor replied "Are they related?"

"Are you asking if I've seen them before?" Loki asked testily "Because if so, just ask."

"I want to know more than that, but you can answer that as well." Thor replied.

"Not that rendition of them, no." Loki said, sensing this was going to be a longer conversation.

"Rendition?" Thor echoed.

"Version." Loki said.

"I know what the word means, thank you." Thor replied irritably, giving him a look.

"The Chitari aren't individualistic. They were engineered. The ones you fought getting the scepter are an early version of them." Loki said.

"And Thanos is in control of them?" Thor asked pointedly.

"If you go far enough up the command chain." Loki replied.

"Is it possible that he knows what's going on here?"

"Yes." Loki said, without blinking.

"I would appreciate less vague answers, Loki." Thor said.

"That was very straightforward." his younger replied pointedly.

Thor sighed "Yes, but you know it wasn't helpful."

"The Allfather did not bargain for that information. I'm not obligated to tell you anything." Loki said with a scowl. Thor let out a very frustrated breath. Just when he suspected they were breaking through, the wall seemed to be built back up.

"Fine." Thor said with very forced patience "Then I will just have to assume you're giving me what information I need under your own promise to Odin. Do you think Thanos sent them to get the scepter?"

"Potentially." Loki said.

"And if he did, would he know where it is now?" Thor asked, ignoring his safe answer.

"Maybe." Loki replied, voice getting annoyed "Thor, those beings are under his control and they wanted the scepter. There is absolutely no way for me to know if he knew where it was or if he knows where it is currently. If you haven't noticed, I'm here, not there with him."

"That doesn't mean you can't give an opinion." Thor replied.

"Opinions in this circumstance mean nothing." Loki's face was expressionless as he stated this.

"Unless they're guided with experience." Thor replied, taking a step back and turning as he did so.

"That fact that Red Skull came here is bad news." Loki said, without looking after his brother. Thor paused. "He's not a mindless servant. He can observe and report. He may even have said what he did to get us to go after the scepter."

"That would explain why there was a group there waiting." Thor pondered, putting the pieces into place.

"But that is speculation." Loki replied "I have no doubt that he relayed information about what happened here. However, we may also have simply been fortunate enough to get there right before they did."

"Logically we can assume Thanos knows what's going on here then." Thor said "At least partially. And he sent Red Skull to observe."

Loki inclined his head "You asked why beings kept appearing here. There's your answer."

 **Please review** **if you want more** **everyone :)**


	25. Beyond a Veil

**Hi all, please enjoy and please review. I greatly greatly greatly appreciate them. So much you don't even know. I get so excited thinking of all the things I have planned for this story. :)**

Something a bit more significant than the daily unrest among the outer ridges of Anaheim had caught the eye of Valder. He was returning to Earth that day to give the information as well as be updated on their current situation. Thor wished that Odin could be there so that the two of them could actually come to a decision on what to do. Not that he believed Anaheim should dictate their actions, but he disliked not having anything to report to Valder. Especially when the king was coming to them with information himself.

Thor planned to tell him that Thanos may already have eyes on them. He sent a message to Odin with that news and discovered that his father was preparing Asgard for war. The guards had informed him of that. Nothing so big that it was noticable by the citizens, but enough to make sure they were protected.

"You shouldn't eat the green part." Lila was informing Hena. She held up a strawberry to the princess, pointing out the edible leaves.

Hena carefully took the strawberry from her. Then she bent up the leaves so she used that to hold the fruit.

"If you do that, you'll avoid everyone of them." she gave a small smile.

"I'm not very good at that yet." Lila informed her "I always get one of them in my mouth."

"I'm sure it'll get easier." Hena assured her "My mother's favorite fruit is a strawberry. In fact, my father planted a bunch of them in a spot right outside her balcony. He proposed to her in the patch. Now my mother can go and pick one anytime she wants one. From inside her room."

"Wow. That would be kind of fun." Lila admitted.

Hena nodded "So, my mother has shown us all the proper way to eat a strawberry. She always told us it was shameful to miss some and let it go to waste."

"What does shameful mean?" Lila asked with a small confused scowl.

"Wrong." Hena simplified for her.

The Anaheimien guards had returned with a few treats from their realm that morning. Several containers of fruit. Some exotic, but mainly ones known to Earth. Tony had remarked to Banner that the reason Hena was so little was probably because they lived off of nothing but fruit.

"I think they're my favorite fruit too." Lila informed her.

Hena nodded enthusiastically "They are very delicious. We eat them often on Anaheim."

Tony pointed over at Banner and nodded silently, signaling the confirmation of his belief.

Meanwhile, Captain America spoke to Thor quietly a few feet away.

"So, is our position compromised?" he asked "Do we need to move now?"

Thor shook his head "Loki cannot be for certain that they can open a portal back to the same place, even if Red Skull could tell them where to go."

"In my experience, it is better to stay on the safe side." Captain America replied.

"Moving the scepter now could cause more problems than are necessary." Thor spoke quietly, as not to start a bigger conversation right now.

Captain America took in a deep breath and then nodded, accepting his answer. Laura's eyes flicked over to Hena and Lila for a moment, looking confused for a second and then enlighted.  
Lila now had her mother's phone and was explaining something to the woman from Anaheim.

"You have to hold it away from you and then you can take a picture so that it gets all the people in it." she said.

"Okay." Hena accepted the information completely, although she had to be confused. Loki's eyes rose slightly to watch her, although he didn't lower his book.

"Do...do you want me to smile?" Hena asked, placing one hand kindly on Lila's arm as she turned to her questioningly. That made Loki smile ever so slightly and then his eyes returned to his reading.

"Sometimes, but I usually make faces." Lila set the phone down and turned to the princess "You can stick out your tongue. That's what my brothers do. But sometimes people make this face."

The girl pursed her lips and scowled very deeply, head tilted to the side. Hena leaned to look at her face, her expression uncertain. She a glance at the others so swiftly, none of them had time to acknowledge it.

"Alright." she said.

Lila picked the phone back up and held it up a bit above them. Loki finally closed his book to watch them, folding his arms in the process. His face was adequately amused, if not mildly curious.

Hena smiled in the first few and then only made faces when Lila did. No matter how dire their situation was, everyone in the room could find a bit of humor at that.

"Sometimes people hold up their fingers this way too." Lila said, holding up her middle and index finger about an inch apart. Hena copied her and then finally laughed herself.

"Why?"

"That's the peace sign." Lila informed her.

"This signals peace here?" Hena asked, looking at the child's hand. Lila nodded importantly.

"Oh. Interesting." Hena nodded at her in return. Then she glanced at Loki for several seconds. He had a partially delayed reaction when he shook his head at her. Then Hena shrugged, almost as if in response to a silent conversation.

Fandral cocked his head slightly at this and then gestured something at Thor. He tapped his head subtly and then waved his hands between Loki and Hena. Thor's eyebrows went up for a second before he also shrugged. Neither Loki nor Hena had mentioned that they could communicate telepathically, but it wouldn't shock him.

"Then you can look at them." Lila said, holding up the phone to the woman. Hena carefully took it and then raised one hand to her mouth.

"Oh my." she said, her voice laughing.

"What?" Lila asked.

"I just look...funny." She stood up with the phone "Loki, look at this."

Loki immediately took a step away, face fading to seriousness.

"Don't you dare." he said.

Hena looked down at the phone for a half-second and then back at him with a smile "Oh, I wasn't going to. I was just coming to show you."

Loki raised and lowered his eyebrows as if he didn't quite believe her.

"Okay, we won't do that." Hena said, turning back around and handing the phone back to Lila "Thank you, that was very fun."

Lila nodded a few times at her before picking up the coloring book in front of her and heading over to her mother. She was already opening the pictures to show them to Laura by the time she got over there.

"She's such a sweetheart. A lot like Mazi. I think they would get along very well." Hena spoke to Loki confidently.

Loki tilted his head "Who _doesn't_ get along with Mazi?"

Hena guffawed "My parents right now. She's been very crazy these past few months." then she scowled slightly "And may I add that all of the silverware in the palance keeps on mysteriously disappearing? I really wonder who taught her that."

"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're referring to." Loki replied, his face remaining neutral. Thor's eyebrows went up at him.

"I bet you don't." Hena said "I swear, my father is going to throttle that girl."

"Well, that wasn't me." Loki informed her with a small smile "Mazi is a clever girl. I'm sure she's come up with some amazing ideas."

"Hm. Okay." Hena said, eyeing him for a moment. She turned slightly and then glanced back "I'm going to go and talk to my guards for a moment. I'm sorry, they're really frustrating me. They don't need to be here."

"If they listen to you above your father, let me know." Loki said after her as she walked outside. As he turned his eyes over towards Thor, he found that his older brother was staring at him rather pointedly.

"What?" he asked, obviously slightly disgusted by his attention.

Thor scowled " _We_ did that."

Loki turned his head in irritation as if he didn't quite hear him. Or was simply confused at the statement.

" _We_ hid all the silverware." Thor said, finishing the statement, eyebrows knitted "Frequently."  
Loki's eyebrows went up for a moment "I'm sorry, I have no memory of this. You must have done that with somebody else."

"Oh, be quiet." Thor said in annoyance.

"I will." Loki obliged, although not without a brief stare down. He turned to follow Hena outside with Thor's gaze on his back the whole time. Surprisingly, the God of Thunder's eyes showed a bit of satisfaction and not at Loki's compliant silence.

"Hiding the silverware, huh?" Fandral asked with a smile. Thor glanced at him, coping his expression.

"What?"

"Is that why dinner was delayed some celebratory evenings?" Fandral folded his arms with contained laughter.

"No, of course not. We stopped doing that so long ago, I can't even remember the last time we did." Thor said, with a hint of a smile "Seems like it's been passed on anyway."

* * *

Nathaniel balanced precariously on Cooper's back and reached one arm up to grab the branch above him. They were trying to reach it so one of them could actually get on top to pull the other one up. So far, they weren't having much luck. Cooper was clearly getting frustrated with his younger brother, who was struggling to grab the branch.

Even though Loki's prediction held true and the Anaheimien guards didn't listen to Hena, she was still having a fun time talking to them. The relationship she had with them was much different than Thor and Loki had ever had with those on Asgard. They made friends with a few, but they had never gone out of their way to be around them. Even now, the Asgardian soldiers weren't really acknowleding the fact that Hena was there. Granted, were standing guard over the scepter-and Loki-so they had a reason to be more stoic. The God of Mischief was waiting not far off from Hena, but he didn't join in their conversation.

"You'll have to stand taller, Cooper." Nathaniel rationed with his older brother. Cooper snorted.

"I can't stand taller, you dork. You try getting on the bottom and I'll stand on you."

"Yeah, you'd squish me." Nathaniel replied.

"Well, this is stupid." Cooper took a few steps back "Here, step off. I'll go grab one of the little stools."

"I still won't be tall enough for that." Nathaniel complained. He'd already explained that to his brother.

"I'll just pull you up, come on." Cooper said, leaning further down.

"Cooper, wait." Nathaniel starting sliding down his back. He attempted to jump at the end, but his foot got caught on his brother's neck and he fell forward, catching himself with his hands. Cooper immediately turned, his face nervous. Nathaniel shook out his wrists, his face a pained mess.

"Sorry." Cooper said, obviously understanding that an apology was necessary.

His younger brother was just beginning the age where he refused to cry, but this was not one of these times. He turned around so that Cooper didn't see him and began to walk back to the house. His face was a grumpy scowl as he fought off tears.

"Nathaniel, wait, I really am sorry." Cooper said, following him quickly. Even though his parents would most likely not blame him, he never realized that until after. Right now, he obviously still worried about punishment.

Loki watched the boys go by briefly, but he didn't intervene. Hena, on the other hand, excused herself from the guards and followed them quickly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, catching up to them on the porch.

Cooper probably would have hesitated before revealing anything to someone they had known so shortly, but Nathaniel spilled it all out instantly. They were right by the doorway, where Hawkeye and Laura could hear.

"Cooper made me fall off his back." he complained "It feels like my wrists are broken now."  
"I said I was sorry." Cooper objected, arms out indignantly.

"Here, let me see them." Hena said, lowering herself down to the child's height. She gently took his wrists and brushed two fingers over them, one at a time. Oddly enough, not only did Nathaniel stop crying, but he suddenly appeared much happier.

"Is that better?" Hena asked, leaning to see his eyes. He nodded quickly.

"Yeah, thanks!" he said, turning back around to head outside. Cooper, like his parents and everyone else, looked surprised and very confused.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Laura asked, eyebrows up as her oldest slowly followed him "That usually takes us a bit longer to patch up. Can you take away pain too?"

Hena shook her head "No, that's not what I did. I saw it happen. He didn't fall far enough for them to hurt that badly. I can influence emotions, so I just made him feel happy instead of sad."

Laura glanced at Hawkeye, impressed.

"Wait. You can actually make someone feel happy?" Tony asked pointedly.

Hena nodded "I can also sense emotions. Similar to mind reading, but easier."

"That could be useful in day to day activites." Tony said.

"Why, so you could score on dates?" Black Widow asked dryly.

"No, emotions aren't necessary for that." he replied off-handedly. He walked over to Hena "So you could make anyone, _anyone_ , in this room happy right now?"

"Yes." Hena replied, nodding.

"Hm." Tony looked away with the words, then back again "Well, I'm game."

"Game?" Hena asked, turning her head slightly.

"Make me happy." he repeated "I want to feel this."

"I assume-and hope-you've felt happy before." Hena replied and then paused as if that weren't the end of her sentence. She pulled back her head "Nope, I can't do it. I can't. I can't call you by your second name." she shook her head "I do not understand why that is so normal here."

"Last names here aren't as significant as they are where we come from." Thor said.

"But doesn't that mean they should be less likely to use them?" Hena inquired.

"It's our way of being friendly without being too friendly." Tony replied "We tend to keep that in low supply here."

Hena eyes him for a moment, as if confused with the statement. Tony's eyebrows went up as they sat in silence for just a bit longer than was usually deemed as appropriate.

"Well, I'll do it if you want." Hena replied, gesturing at him.

"Yes, please." Hawkeye said with a few nods "Make him less annoying."

Hena glanced at him with humor in her eyes as she took Tony's hand. Black Widow leaned forward from her seat on the couch, lips pursed slightly. Based on how easily she turned Nathaniel's mood around, they could expect pretty much anything.

"It might come on stronger than you think." Hena cautioned "People who lean toward more extreme actions may be inclined to do something rash."

"Oh?" Captain America asked, nodding a few times at her. She glanced at him briefly, but then back to Tony.

"Ready?" she asked, her voice calm.

"Wait, wait. Let me take a second." Tony said, closing his eyes. She did as he asked, although she was aware he was being sarcastic "Okay, I think I'm ready." he let out a dramatic breath and shook out his shoulders.

Hena raised an eyebrow at him for a moment before her eyes became more concentrated. It took a moment, but Tony smiled, blinking several times at her. She released him immediately, eyes expectant and amused.

"Hm. That. That feels very nice." he said, shaking a pointed finger at her a few times "We might need to give a bit of that to the rest of them in here."

"I'm glad you liked it." Hena replied evenly, holding back a smile "But we'd best not do it anymore. I hardly ever do that for people and especially when they know about it. In fact, I think that may only be the second time I ever have without their knowledge. It can cause infatuation."

"I believe it." Tony said.

"Have people addicted to you might not be so nice, I assume." Captain America said, looking at her.

"Correct." Hena replied, nodding "Although, addicted is probably not the best word. This is purely emotion and very individual to each person. No one really knows how it feels to be someone else's form of happy. Or any other type of emotion."

"I feel like that should go in a book." Hawkeye said with a small chuckle. Black Widow raised her eyebrows in agreement.

"It seems that could make good friends." Tony said, inclining his head to Loki outside.

Hena followed his gaze for a quick second "Loki? No. I've never actually been able to manipulate his emotions. He's never let me. Even when I don't tell him I'm going to do so. To be completely honest, I can always tell when a man has interest in me, but I can't tell one way or another with Loki through his mind or his emotions. With physical contact it becomes easier, but very rarely can I break through his barrier with feelings. Unless he let's his guard slip."

Thor's mouth curved down for a moment and his eyebrows went up at the same time.

"I've tried numerous times, believe me. It think that's one of the few times he's ever been cross with me. The first time, eesh, he was not happy." Hena continued with a firm shake of her head.

"How interesting." Fandral said, kindly. Volstagg looked at him with a small scowl that conveyed "really?" in his direction.

"Yes, isn't it?" Hena replied, staring at him with her warm brown eyes. Then she turned around to return to her conversation she had left with the guards.

"She doesn't need to read your mind to know anything about you, Fandral." Volstagg chastised, shoving his friend slightly.

"I sure hope not." Fandral replied, with an obvious grin. Thor laughed under his breath.

"I should have asked her about negative feelings." Tony said.

"Generally those are included on the emotion spectrum." Black Widow answered with a small smirk.

"Well, we could so very obviously use a dose of negativity around here, guys." Tony said incredulously.

"Does anyone know when her parents are showing up?" Captain America asked, obviously and pointedly changing the subject, eyebrows raised. However, it seemed to be in good humor.

"She didn't mention that." Thor replied.

"Hopefully later, I don't want to hear the news." Banner said.

"Ah, negativity!" Tony said, pointing at him "What makes you think it's bad?"

"The fact that Valder is coming to tell us himself." Banner replied coolly.

"He's a nice guy, maybe he likes us." Tony said with a shrug. Then he glanced down at his watch on his wrist. At least, it appeared to be a watch, but he also controlled suits from it.  
"Well, look at that." he said, holding it up so he could see properly "One of the suits just picked up something."

Everyone paused for a moment, eyes on him.

"Like literally or...?" Banner inclined his head questioningly.

"Nope, a foreign object or being or whatever you want to call them just appeared on their radar." he lowered his arm "Sorry you didn't get the lingo there."

"I actually think that's just a figure of speech." Volstagg said.

"Yeah, well, what would you know?" Tony asked, with a small quick smile at him.

The Asgardian's eyebrows went up in offense, but Tony was already heading over towards the door.

"What is it?" Captain America asked, turning after him.

"I'm going to go and check it." Tony said.

Hawkeye watched him go with a scowl before glancing at Black Widow.

"Seems like walking out to it is very old fashioned."

"Maybe somethings are best the old fashioned way." Black Widow replied, leaning her head to side. If Hawkeye wasn't married, anyone would have suspected it for flirting.

Thor, meanwhile, decided to follow Tony outside, although he stopped once he was at the bottom of the steps. Captain America joined him after a moment. They were both obviously ready for the report whenever it should come.

"That would definitely annoy you too." Hena said and Thor turned his head towards Loki and her approaching from a ways off.

"Well, it isn't at this moment." Loki replied, pointedly, jerking his head back behind them.

Hena glanced in the direction of the Asgardian soldiers, face contemplative "Alright, you have a point there. And I guess if something did happen, I would be glad they were here. Not that I would need it with you and the rest of the people here, but they are from home."

"I agree." Loki replied.

"But don't tell my father that." Hena said, turning to him with a pointed finger "He still needs to think that I don't like it.

"Don't worry about me. I won't say a word." Loki said, face amused "You might, though. I can't imagine you keeping this quiet around him."

"Hey, he's the best, but being a daughter makes life a bit harder than you think. He's very protective."

"That's probably a good thing." Loki told her "Usually, anyway. He IS your father. What do you expect from him?"

"Exactly what he does." Hena replied grudgingly "But it's hard too. Sometimes I want to tackle him to the ground."

"Yes, all one hundred pounds of you." Loki chuckled.

"Hey!" Hena put her hands on her hips indignantly, face sinking into a sharp scowl "You don't think it when people call you little, so I would think you wouldn't do it to others."

"Why do you think I dislike it?" Loki asked.

"Oh, come on. You're tiny for a Frost Giant. They're probably all more than twice your size." Hena said, folding her arms.

"Yes, just right for dear Hena." Loki replied teasingly.

The Anaheimien woman leaned forward and hit him briskly on the arm, shoving him away slightly.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Loki said, although his voice still laughed.

"Good." Hena replied with a firm nod of her head. But her posture immediately softened "Me too, that was mean." Then she caught sight of the Ironman machine coming in. It landed near Tony, who walked up to it.

"What's going on?" she asked, beginning to walk over to him.

"One of his suits got footage of something foreign." Captain America answered for her. Noticeably, he was using the same wording as Tony "We'll check it out in a minute."

Hena glanced over at him and then over his head the Warriors waiting on the porch. Evidently, it was an impatient group.

"Hm." Hena returned her eyes to Tony, then to Loki "I'll be right back."

The God of Mischief raised his eyebrows, but he didn't protest as she made her way over to the suit. His amused eyes followed her.

Thor walked over to his younger brother slowly. He still found it interesting, but not surprising that Hena couldn't probe Loki's emotions either. He'd always been very private about how he felt. Frigga had been able to discern many things just like Hena could.

Thor watched Loki's face as he arrived beside him.

"So." he prompted "Hena."

For a split second, Loki waited for Thor to continue and then he noticeably paused when his older brother did not, almost as if the air got cold. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, as if going over what he had just heard. There hadn't been any indication that Thor intended to add more.

Loki gave one swift glance at his brother before opening his book and walking forward without another word. Thor did a double take at where Loki had been standing a moment ago, as if he really had been expecting him to respond.

Captain America watched the scene, along with the Warriors, but he didn't approach his friend, who was now standing alone in the field. It was hard to tell, but he may have been holding back a laugh. Volstagg and Fandral shared a brief glance, but neither of them said anything to each other.

A ways away, Tony was now leaving the machine, so Hena turned back around ahead of him. She joined Loki, who had gotten closer to her while avoiding Thor's conversation opener.

"What is it?" Captain America called out to Tony.

"Well, machine is fine." his friend replied "Can't see any visual damage. We'll just connect this camera on inside and we should be in business."

* * *

Unfortunately, the general consensus among the group was that they hoped it was Frost Giants who had come to Earth. Even if nobody said it, the Jotuns had been much easier to deal with than Red Skull.

Tony brought in a small rectangular device that was transparent, and yet still had a screen on it. He flicked it at his board set up in the living room and a video recording of a very green pasture came up. Because the Ironman suit flew so smoothly, it was hard to see that it was actually moving over the field.

Hena and Loki had joined them inside now as they waited for the news.

The footage didn't change for a moment and then the suit came to an abrupt stop. It steadied itself in midair and then focused on a very specific spot of land a bit below it.

"Very weird that we now have to say 'please don't be an alien, please don't be an alien.'" Tony commented, folding his arms very casually.

The video continued for several moments like that and then the footage changed again. It showed the horizon and trees in the background, indicating that the suit had returned to the air.

Hawkeye looked briefly surprised.

"Um, was that just me, or did nothing just happen there?"

"Replay that." Captain America said, taking a step closer with a concerned frown.

"Thank you, I wouldn't have thought to do that." Tony replied.

The second round of the footage showed the exact same thing. A completely empty field and no beings coming or going.

"Why are we watching this?" Hawkeye asked.

"Because something...tripped the motion sensor on this suit." Tony said, walking forward and zooming in on the video. He paused it where the camera focused in on one particular spot and concentrated on the picture.

"What is it we are meant to be seeing?" Fandral asked.

Tony scoffed "That's a good question."

He pushed play on the video again.

"There. Right there." he said, pointing at it "That's where it says something moves."

The screen appeared blank however. Nothing but an empty field. Not even as much as a bird flew past the camera.

"That can't be right." Captain America said under his breath as he stared at it "Are we sure this isn't some kind of a malfunction?"

"Well, no one can ever be entirely sure, but I make damn well pretty close to certain that these things don't happen." Tony replied, swiping at a few things on the screen. He glanced over at Loki "Could this be one of those shrouding enhancements you mentioned before?"

"Oh, wow, I was going for invisible creature." Captain America said, but he also turned.

Loki waited a moment before responding, eyes hovering over them for a moment.

"I highly doubt that anything you have here would be able to detect someone employing such methods." he said evenly.

"Then, invisible beings?" Tony asked with a shrug "Ever heard of those?"

Loki blinked slowly "Forgive me, but I'm not accustomed to trusting one of your machines to give accurate information on when and where a portal opens."

"Oh, well, you're forgiven." Tony replied, turning back to face the board. Loki narrowed his eyes in his direction.

"I've never heard of any creatures that can turn invisible." Hena said, voice curious "Honestly, though, if they existed, it's possible no one would know about them."

"Good point." Tony said, without looking over at her.

"Something sensing motion wouldn't pick up something invisible." Captain America pointed out.

"My sensors are a bit more sensitive than one you pick up at Home Depot. Abnormal air flow, temperature changes. All the fun stuff." Tony said, continuing to move the things around on the screen.

"Maybe a portal created air movement?" Hena suggested, with a glance at Loki "Just because one opened doesn't mean that something had to go through."

"That is probable." Loki replied "But, I don't know if it would actually cause any sort of detectable difference if a being wasn't coming through."

"It's a connection between two realms though, right? That means they have shared space and intangible things could pass through." Hena said.

"It is a connection, yes, but many portals do not actually share space. There is not a way to be in between two realms unless your portal created a visible appearance of the other connecting realm. If you can look into a portal and see where you are going, then air flow would be possible. To do that, you have to sustain it for a very long time." Loki gestured at the screen "And it was neither sustained nor visible."

Hena nodded slowly "Alright, that makes sense."

"So, either my technology is broken or we have an invisible alien here." Tony replied, looking in between the two of them.

"I have never heard of such a being." Thor said, echoing Hena's words. The Warriors all murmured agreement under their breath. Hena looked back at Loki.

"I have no explanation to offer." he said with a small shake of his head.

They all ruminated on that for a moment as they stared at the replaying video footage. It was almost as if they wished they had overlooked something.

"Then we'll need to keep an eye on the news." Captain America said finally, breaking the silence "Terrorist attacks could be in high supply this week."

"Because Channel 8 News has such marvelous method for detecting things that aren't there." Tony replied, clearing his throat.

* * *

"A little higher." Hawkeye instructed and then leaned forward to catch the ball being thrown at him "That's it, good job."

He carefully tossed it back, throwing underhand for his youngest son's benefit. The last time they'd played, Cooper had been a bit too eager and it had resulted in a nice round bump on Nathaniel's head. Hawkeye was building up his son's confidence again.

"Are you ready to try it with all three of us?" he asked, gesturing at Cooper.

Nathaniel nodded "Yes, but don't throw it hard yet."

"We won't throw it hard at all, okay?" Hawkeye assured him "You throw it to Cooper and I'll throw it to you."

There were several glasses of lemonade sitting on the picnic table, some of them full and others partially gone. Laura had made it for them after an insisted dinner.

Just about everyone was outside at the moment. The only person who remained inside was Banner at the moment. Captain America had busied himself in splitting the pile of wood next to the house, but the amount unchopped was diminishing.

Every single one of the nonmortal beings were somewhat close together not far from the porch. Even though Hena spoke with each of the Warriors, Loki kept his interaction to a minimum. She would draw him in occasionally, but even then, he mostly spoke with her. They were more separated from the others. Right now, both of them were quiet, listening to the other's conversations just a few feet away.

Tony was giving his suit a thorough check, just to try and rule out any possibility that there had been a malfunction. So far, there was nothing wrong he could find. Once Captain America had finished with the wood, he walked over to him to check the status.

"So, Loki, when do I get to meet your father?" Hena asked, eyes focused in the distance as she twirled her hair around one finger. Then, she glanced at him with curious eyes. Thor did the same.

"You can't." Loki replied simply "He's dead."

Hena scowled ever so slightly, eyes alarmed for a moment. Then the scowl deepened.

"Oh." she swatted a hand at him irritably "You know who I mean."

"Oh Odin." Loki said in very mellow mock realization as he nodded his head in understanding. Thor's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes Odin." Hena replied "Is he coming here?"

"I'm sure he'll be here to check on us at some point or another." Loki told her with just a hint of contempt, although not aimed at her.

"Well, today would be lovely because my father is coming. They really should speak." Hena said.

"When is he coming by the way?" Captain America asked, having left Tony's side. Hena turned slightly to face him.

Q"Soon, I imagine." she replied "He said early this afternoon."

"Do different realms run on the same time?" Captain America asked, actually surprised that thought hadn't come to him before.

"I don't know about other realms, but Anaheim is slightly different from yours. But, I imagine he'll come in your time, not ours." Hena said.

"No hint of the news he's bringing?" Captain America asked.

Hena shook her head slightly "Hmhm. No. But I will tell you that he didn't seem overly concerned."

"Did Stark find anything that could explain what happened?" Thor asked Captain America, his low voice very different from the woman next to him.

"Nope." Captain America replied with a shake of his head.

"Well, I do agree with Loki as this is concerned." Fandral said with a dip of his head "Perhaps mortal technology is not as reliable as you think."

Captain America scoffed in amusement, glancing at the ground for a second "You know, I'm probably the last person in the world who should given an opinion on the technology we have, so I'm not going to argue."

"Heads!" Hawkeye called suddenly, warning them to get out of the way. All of them glanced back and then Sif and Captain America both moved backwards to avoid the overthrown ball. Hawkeye trotted over to them and took it from the his friend, who had leaned to pick it up.

"So, you do overshoot sometimes." Captain America said.

"You wish." Hawkeye replied.

"Hey, dad!" Cooper called over.

"Yeah?" Hawkeye turned back to begin walking over.

"Nathaniel and I are going to go and practice fighting instead." he said "Is that okay?"

"Oh, sure, sure." Hawkeye replied in offense as he threw the baseball into his mit a few times "You guys go and play. I'll go back to work."

Both of the boys immediately let out undiscernable cries of protest at him.

"See, that's what happens when you don't want to play with me." Hawkeye said, shaking his head "I just assume I'm not needed."

At another heartfelt objection from his children, he broke into a smile. Immediately, they saw that he was joking and their faces faded to relief.

Laura, over at the picnic table with Lila, smiled slightly, but continued helping her daughter. The girl handed Black Widow her new sewn creation, obviously proud of it.

"My father would make jokes like that all the time." Hena said, taking her eyes away from the children "And I could never stand the guilt. I think I deal with it even worse now than I did then."

"Ah, they're boys." Hawkeye said with a wave of his arm "Very rarely do they remember what I say."

"Apparently, that's just what fathers do." Hena replied with almost a roll of her eyes. Her gaze landed on Thor "But you really should see if Odin is going to come." she then looked at Loki, who shrugged, indicating that he wasn't going to have anything to do with that. It was up to Thor.

"Heimdall can give him a message." Thor said.

"My father seeks to counsel with him." Hena replied "Besides, whatever is happening on Anaheim might be good for Odin to know about."

"I have actually been wondering if your father is seeing the same type of thing that we are here." Loki said with a nod of his head towards Tony. Hena blinked.

"That would make sense." she said grimly "Not urgent, yet not something he can ignore."

Then Ironman suit took off into the air, apparently having been released from inspection by Tony. They all watched it for a moment, conversation falling silent as Tony began to walk over. Then, after a few moments, Hena looked at Loki.

"Alright, who's Red Skull?"

The question caught everyone off guard and several of them looked at her in surprise. Loki, however, let out a frustrated sigh.

"Please don't do that." he said, with obvious irritation "I _really_ wish you wouldn't, Hena."

"I'm sorry, I really try not to." Hena apologized "But sometimes, it's hard not to. Earlier when we were outside, you suddenly just had this really strong anger emanating from you. I thought it was going to be at someone here, but it wasn't. You were thinking of a totally different person. Actually, you were thinking of memories of them, which is why I could see it. You know me, I can't usually tell what you're feeling, so when it's that strong...I don't know, it's enticing."

"You know, for most people, that would be a warning to stay away." Loki replied, looking at her.

"I know, but not for me. I don't have any boundaries." Hena said offhandedly, blinking at him as she maintained her serious face "So, who is he?"

Loki let out a deep breath and leaned his head forward slightly "I'd very much prefer not to bring you into that."

"I'm already here. Nothing is going to change that." Hena replied "Will you just tell me? What happened to make you hate him so much? Because honestly, the only person who dislikes him as much as you is him." she inclined her head toward Captain America.

"Mhm." Loki said with one nod without giving any hint of what he was thinking.

Hena waited a second, leaning forward expectantly. She waved a hand to cue Loki to continue, but he shook his head.

"Loki." Hena said, dropping her head for a moment, dragging out his name for several seconds.

"Yes, that is my name." Loki said, still as patient as the first time she asked.

"Please?" she asked again.

Thor recalled as she spoke that she couldn't see what had happened to Loki during his time in the Void. At least after he left Anaheim. All of the others around were also looking at him, obviously curious. Even Laura and Black Widow were paying attention while still entertaining Lila.

Loki's face had folded into a scowl and he let out a frustrated breath.

"Him and I met years ago. And neither of us enjoyed each other's company, alright?"

"Alright." Hena said with an accepting nod "Now, go on."

"There is nothing to tell." Loki's tone was getting vaguely exasperated.

"Obviously there is because you don't want to tell it." Hena said, putting one hand on his arm compassionately. Loki moved it away immediately, eyebrows furrowing uncomfortably.

"Oh, right, sorry, no pity." Hena said, pulling her hand back and raising it peaceably.

Loki breathed out a faint laugh, shaking his head at the ground with his eyes closed.

"He made threats that I knew he was capable of carrying out." he said "Once it came time to really decide who could better execute plans, we dueled, nearly killed each other, I triumphed, end of story."

"Wait." Hena said, eyes wide "If you dueled, how is it that both of you are still alive? Or that you are still alive, if you won."

"Reminds you of another situation, yes?" Loki asked, eyes lighting up briefly with amusement. He seemed to be referring to something only the two of them would remember "Unfortunately, someone intervened and that mutant is still alive." he continued, obviously recalling bitter thoughts. Captain America nodded ever so slightly, mostly to himself. The air fell silent for a moment.

"Was it Thanos who intervened?" Hena asked, appreciating how bold the question was, but not shying away from it in the least.

Loki's eyes flicked over to her, the way they always did when someone mentioned the God of Death's name. He stared for a moment, as if pondering whether or not to answer.

"Yes." he said finally. It was clear at that point he wasn't going to speak anymore on the matter.

Fandral shifted ever so slightly, indicating that he felt a little awkward at the silence, but Hena had no reserves whatsoever.

"Interesting." she replied thoughtfully "You know, I really don't think you should keep dueling as a hobby."

Loki looked at her "To be fair, I have never ever instigated a duel. And besides, that is only the second one I have had in my lifetime."

"You didn't start that one either?" Hena asked, mouth open slightly.

"No. But the first one certainly prepared me for that one." Loki replied.

"When was the first one?" Thor asked curiously, not remembering him ever having a duel on Asgard "Unless you are referring to fights and not actual duels. In which case, there would be much more than two."

"It was on Anaheim." Hena replied, sounding amused and flustered at the same time "There is this man named Adden there. He's a guard to our family. To put it simply, he admired me from a far for several years and it wasn't a hidden desire either. He is very sweet and a very talented soldier as well. He has always been protective of the royal family. He challenged Loki to a duel while he was there, which, honestly, was quite unlike him. But Asgard was known for being...violent. That's a poor word, but you know what I mean. Duels would be far more common there than on Anaheim, so I suppose Adden just thought he was also challenging that tradition as well."

The corner of Loki's mouth rose slightly as he listened to her recall the events. Thor glanced at him momentarily.

"It wasn't funny." Hena protested, looking indignant "That was very scary for me."

"Yes, because you thought I was going to get killed." Loki said, so obviously hiding a grin.

"Hey." Hena shook a scolding finger at him "He was bigger than you and I had absolutely no idea how well you could fight. Nor did I know you could use magic that well either." then she put her hands on her hips "My father was so calm about the whole thing too, which made me mad."

"No one expected me to vanish did they?" Loki asked.

"No. Not a one. Least of all Adden himself." Hena retorted.

"Was this a duel to the death?" Thor asked and Loki gave one nod in his general direction.

"It was." Hena said grudgingly "And Loki won. But he didn't kill him. In fact, he let him go. Adden is still very alive today."

Thor's eyebrows went up, along with several of the others. Hena nodded at them.

"And it was like my father knew you would best him the whole time." she said, looking over at Loki. The God of Mischief shrugged slightly.

"He was farther out of his depth than he realized." he said evenly.

"I completely agree." Hena replied "You were well within your rights to have killed him though."

"I am aware." Loki said, smiling ever so slightly.

"If the roles had been reversed, he would have taken your life." Hena said, obviously still very upset about it. Then she closed her eyes for a moment "I mean, I really liked Adden, but that was just ridiculous of him."

"You were getting worried for him by the end though." Loki said.

"Well, yes." Hena admitted "I hate duels. I don't want anyone to die. And no one had to in this one."

"Why did he challenge you?" Thor asked, almost certain of the answer already. He stared at Loki expectantly.

"I don't know. He didn't like me." his brother replied, with a touch of mock innocence as he tilted his head at Thor "You'd have to ask him that."

Thor's eyebrows remained up as if wanting Loki to admit even more. But his brother returned his eyes to the woman next to him as she looked upward as if searching for something in the sky suddenly. She smiled again and glanced back at the others.

"They're coming now." she said, her eyes trailing back to Loki in amusement.

After a pause among them, Tony spoke.

"You do mean your parents, right? No offense, but we are a very jumpy group."

"Oh, yes, my parents." Hena assured him with a few nods "I just thought I would warn you, as our way of traveling tends to be much quieter than the Bifrost."

"It does spare the grass though." Loki observed, speaking in her direction.

Hawkeye almost laughed, but he managed to settle for a small smile.

"Yes, Asgard should probably take mercy on our poor mortal lawns." Tony said. Loki didn't reply to him, but he stared around Hena towards the empty field. Thor followed his gaze. A bright light appeared and continued getting more intense until the group was forced to avert their eyes.

Then Valder and Svleiva were there, smiling at the group.

 **Thank you so much for reading, let me know if you enjoyed it. XOXOXOXO guys, you're the best!**


	26. Younger Older Brother

**Hello all! I sincerely gipe you enjoy this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but it's a longer one. ;)**

Hena walked excitedly over to her parents, eyes gleaming. The others remained behind, watching, but waiting for the king and queen to come over.

 _"Loki!"_ there then came a very excited squeal from their direction and a young girl appeared from behind her parents.

"Oh. No way." Loki muttered, beginning to smile. He started walking over to her as she ran across the field. She hugged him at his waist, barely tall enough to reach even that. Her build was very similar to Hena's. Thin arms and legs and a very small frame. Her hair was lighter in color though and her eyes were a very piercing green.

"I missed you!" Mazi told Loki as she let go and looked up at him with wide eyes "You're a lot taller."

"See!" Hena turned around briefly to point at Loki triumphantly.

"You are also taller than the last time I saw you." Loki told the little girl as he glanced up briefly at Hena.

Thor stared at him and Mazi as the little girl began to talking very eagerly to him. Loki didn't really need to make many comments because she didn't seem to take any breaths.

Hena hugged her father and then her mother, gripping Svleiva slightly longer.

"See, and she still looks well, does she not?" Valder teased over at his wife.

"As her mother, I have a right to be worried." Svleiva countered.

"But as a father, that would be inappropriate." Valder replied, amused. His wife raised a hand warningly at him, hiding a smile.

"I don't want either of you to worry." Hena said, walking beside her mother as they made their way over to Thor and the others.

Mazi relieved Loki after a few more moments and then ran back over to Hena to give her a big hug. Right after that, she went over to the group of adults by the picnic table. She stopped in front of Thor, chin raised.

"What's your name?" she asked expectantly.

The God of Thunder hesistated a moment before responding "I am Thor."

Mazi's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened. She turned around and looked right over to her sister.

"Hena! This is Thor!" she called excitedly.

Hena smiled warmly back at her "I know!"

Mazi glanced back at Thor in fascination "You are not quite as big as I thought of you, but you are very big."

Thor blinked in surprise, realizing that Loki must have mentioned him back on Anaheim when he was there. And perhaps even more than mentioned. His brother was greeting Svleiva and Valder at the moment.

While Thor thought about a response, Mazi moved on to the other Asgardians. Then the mortal group. Once she had sufficiently learned everyone's names there, she ran over to Laura and Lila.

"Is this your mom?" Mazi asked.

Lila stared at the other girl for a moment and then nodded. Laura smiled at her as well.

"That's my mom." Mazi pointed back at Svleiva "And my dad. And my sister."

"Those are my brothers over there." Lila said, speaking of Cooper and Nathaniel. Both of the boys had stopped practicing to look over at the newcomers, but they were slowly beginning to spar again. Mazi finished off her conversation with Lila and then began to hurry over to them.

"Mazi." Svleiva said, turning after her slightly, voice stern.

"I want to say hi!" Mazi complained, looking back with a crestfallen expression. Then, without any consent, she continued on her way over. Svleiva scowled and Valder put a hand on her back.

"She's alright." he said. His wife continued to scowl, however, watching their daughter with concern.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been there to help her release all of that energy." Hena said.

"No, you most definitely have not!" Valder scolded with a smile. They turned their attention to Thor and the others as they got closer.

"Hello again." Valder said with a warm nod "I hope all has been well here."

"Even given the circumstances, yes." Thor replied "Although, we are very curious to hear your news."

"I imagine." Valder said "I have found these events very disturbing. If we may sit, I will describe what has been happening."

Thor nodded. As they began to walk back towards the house, Svleiva called over to Mazi. The little girl waved goodbye to both of the boys quickly and ran over to her parents. Nathaniel and Cooper watched her leave, seeming disoriented by the explosion of emotion.

* * *

"Anaheim isn't in danger is it?" Hena asked, her voice concerned as she walked up the steps after her father.

"As far as we can tell, no." Valder replied "But I am erring on the side of caution. And I hope we all do that."

"Then, what is wrong?" Hena stepped to the side of the door with Loki as the others came in after them. Mazi ran up the stairs last and came and stood by her older sister, still fidgeting in excitement.

Valder took in a deep breath, gazing at all the people in the room.

"Even though Anaheim remains neutral in conflicts, we do regulate beings that enter and leave our realm. There are no restrictions, except those who don't have a way to travel to Anaheim. We know when someone comes and leaves. However, lately, there have been unexplained situations where we can feel something entering the realm, but there is no newcomer.

Thor let out a deep breath and they all shared a glance for a moment. Loki's assumption had been correct. The same thing was happening on Anaheim.

"Please, tell me what is troubling you." Valder said, nodding at Thor. The God of Thunder sighed.

"The same thing happened here. Earlier today." he replied "Their mortal technology sensed something and there was nothing there."

"And, despite all of the doubts, it was not the 'technology's' fault." Tony said, nodding several times.

Valder looked at him briefly, but then blinked and returned his eyes to Thor.

"There have not been attacks on our realm, but I can imagine this is inevitable. We may need to act sooner than we thought."

"You mean, lead an attack?" Thor asked.

"Not yet, but we might not have a choice." Valder said with a dip of his head "I am going to have to ask you to call your father here the next time we return. Him and I have much to discuss."

"I agree." Thor said "And I can do so. But my father is currently securing the others of the nine realms besides this one. It may not be for a few more days unless something drastic happens."

"That is understandable." then the king of Anaheim turned over to Mazi with a small smile "I should probably introduce our other daughter, Mazi. She insisted on coming this time."  
Mazi's eyes opened wide and then she walked forward politely. Hena watched her with raised eyebrows.

"Yes. I am Mazi." her little sister did a small curtsy "I am very glad to meet you."

Valder didn't laugh, but his eyes showed everything. Svleiva smiled at her daughter as she returned to Hena's side with a dutiful posture. However, she broke it as she looked up at her sister proudly.

"I already asked them their names." she informed her parents.

"I imagine you made short work of that." Valder replied in good humor.

"Yes. And now I am going to return outside." Mazi responded with the same formality.

Neither of her parents objected, so the little girl left.

* * *

"Well, I'm still not tall enough to reach any of the books on the high shelves." Mazi informed Loki, with obvious indignation.

The God of Mischief's eyebrows went up in amusement "Well, you'll grow. That shouldn't be a problem for too long."

"But Hena can barely reach them." Mazi countered "And I will probably be shorter than her."

"I doubt that." Loki responded.

Svleiva watched them from just inside the house, smiling ever so slightly. Lila and Mazi did get along very well, just as Hena predicted. Hawkeye's daughter was very excited to have another girl her own age to relate with.

"We really could have used him back on Anaheim. She stays entertained for hours." Valder said, tilting his head toward Mazi and Loki with a smile.

"Yes, but at what cost?" Hena asked with mock shrillness "He might go insane."

"I doubt it." Valder replied with one chuckle "He handles her very well."

"So do I, but sometimes I think I've gone crazy." Hena said, although her voice smiled. She walked past him, possibly to join those outside.

Valder paused for a moment to observe her before glancing over at Hawkeye "This is your home, yes?"

Hawkeye looked up and around for a moment "Uh, yeah." he nodded.

"It is very separate from the rest of your society." Valder said "I suspect someone in your position would like somewhere to withdraw quietly."

"Well, there is that." Hawkeye agreed with a few nods "But it is also a precautionary measure to keep my wife and children safe."

"I understand." Valder confirmed "My family is protected by our soldiers, but we also have a place far from our palace to retire to on occasion."

"As...king," Tony began, spreading both hands for a moment as he nodded "I assume that you would know all about people potentially coming after your family."

"Not as much as you would expect." Valder replied honestly "At least, not on Anaheim. Our line of family has kept the throne since the beginning of our realm and, through our powers, we have been able to keep corruption out of it. I do not know how it is on realms such as Asgard."

Volstagg looked in Thor's direction, seeming to expect him to join the conversation. The God of Thunder lowered the hand that had rested near his mouth as he began to speak.

"We are similar in that aspect, although we have not had mind searching magic to aid us." he said "I cannot recall a time where our family was unsafe from anyone within the realm. Then again, we are not like Earth. Our king reins over the entire realm, so any attack on our family is an attack on the realm."

Valder nodded in agreement. His eyes flicked over to where an Asgardian soldier was walking up the steps.

"He may have a message from my father, excuse me." Thor said, walking over to greet the guard. Although they couldn't communicate telepathically like those from Anaheim, they had means of communicating with Heimdall, who, in turn, would relay the message to Odin. The message must have been very simple because the guard left after only speaking with Thor for about twenty seconds. Then the God of Thunder turned back and looked at Valder and Svleiva.

"Odin would like to meet with you in a few days time." he said "If it is alright with Clint, we will have the council here."

Hawkeye's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Why not?" he asked, although no nonmortal would pick up on any exasperation in his tone.

"Thank you." Valder nodded once at Thor "I can share with him what I have seen. Perhaps similar things have happened on Asgard."

Sif seemed to realize something at his words and tilted her head in concern.

"Perhaps Heimdall cannot see it if it is happening." she said "Asgard has defenses, but we do also rely on him."

"I am certain Asgard is not in danger." Valder assured her, although that didn't seem to pacify Sif.

"Odin has secured the realm." Thor said in response "And, it doesn't seem as if these incidents have led to any attacks thus far."

"You guys haven't heard of any invisible aliens by chance, have you?" Tony asked, pointing at the leaders of Anaheim with two fingers.

They exchanged a glance briefly before Valder shook his head and Svleiva spoke.

"Those kinds of beings do not exist." she said "Unless they have been created somehow. It doesn't seem realistic that an entire race would be able to remain completely unknown to the universe."

"Alright." Tony conceded with a wave "Fair enough."

"I suspect Odin will want to hear of it either way." Valder maintained "He is a fine king and a good man."

Svleiva let out an obvious peeved breath at his words, looking away. Valder glanced at her while Thor frowned at her disagreement. The Warriors did as well.

"I know you have your differences." Valder said, voice surprisingly good humored "But he has been a charismatic leader for many."

"It's alright. Some personalities just do not blend well together." Svleiva replied, still irritated.

She looked at Thor "I mean no offense. He has led well. I do not approve of some actions, but that should not take away from the good he has done."

"What interactions have you had with him?" Thor asked, without any amount of scorn in his tone whatsoever. It was just a question of curiosity.

"Not many, but my first impression was not ideal." Svleiva replied "I won't go into detail. I am aware of the fact that I must keep my own misgivings to myself, particularly around Loki. He has enough of his own for his adopted father."

Thor looked surprised for a moment, but he knew he shouldn't be. Even if they couldn't read minds, the king and queen would surely have learned about Loki's perception of Odin when he explained how he got to Anaheim.

"That is appreciated." he said.

Svleiva nodded at him, almost as if surprised herself. Surprised Thor would expect any different.

"Sometime, I am going to sit that boy down and make him eat a proper meal." she said, shaking her head as she looked out at Loki.

"He's more than a boy." Valder commented in amusement.

"Not to me." Svleiva replied "I am a mother to all." she shook her head again "He's very thin."

Valder leaned to see the God of Mischief same as her, eyebrows up.

"It must be a mother's eyes then." he said "He doesn't look changed from when I saw him last."  
Svleiva glanced at her husband, almost with amused disappointment.

"It most definitely is." she said "I can see that is started happening once he left Anaheim because he was different when he came to Earth. But it was severely exacerbated at the death of his mother."

Thor's eyes always lowered slightly at the mention of Frigga, but they returned to the queen shortly after. He could see his friends sharing glances, but he wanted to listen to Svleiva if she had anything else to say.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like she did. She had returned her gaze outside.

Lila was approaching from outside now. She came in and went directly to her mother in the kitchen. She beckoned Laura down to her height and then whispered something in her ear as the others conversation began again.

"Well," Valder said, looking back at Thor "I await our meeting with your father. Please do not hesitate to send a message through Hena if something becomes urgent."

Several of the others nodded along with the God of Thunder, even though it was clearly aimed at Thor. They followed the leaders of Anaheim outside. Svleiva suddenly whistled very lightly, closer to a bird than a human. The others were obviously all surprised for a moment, but both Hena and Mazi stopped what they were doing and looked over. Loki watched them for a moment, eyebrows up before doing the same. Mazi started walking over to her mother, who had taken steps in their direction.

Valder looked at the group of silently confused people behind him.

"She doesn't like to yell." he explained in amusement "When Hena was younger, Svleiva couldn't communicate in her mind, so she would whistle if she needed to see her. It became habit and Mazi adopted it when she was old enough to understand what it was." he smiled over at his wife "She whistles, you come. Apparently we have our children well trained."

"We should have tried that." Hawkeye said "Their names don't seem to work at all."

"Which you'd think would be more personal, but it's not." Valder replied.

Mazi stared at her mother in dismay. They spoke back and forth for a moment before Mazi seemed to plead with her mother.

Laura was walking out of the house with her own daughter behind her. She spotted the scene and walked over to Valder. Lila stopped a bit farther back, watching her new friend.

"Mazi is welcome to stay." Laura said, making Hawkeye, as well as several of the others, look around in surprise. The king stared at her for a moment, eyes flicking between his daughter and Laura. Then he shook his head.

"Thank you." he said, now nodding "But I think it might be best if she returned home with us. You have enough to worry about without another child to look after. Especially one as lively as Mazi."

"There's nothing she's done I haven't see before." Laura replied, smiling.

"Well, you wait." Valder chuckled.

"To be honest, our daughter hasn't had another girl around her age to play with in a while." Laura said "You would be doing me a favor." she glanced over at Lila "She was the one who asked actually."

Valder's eyebrows went up in surprise. He paused for another moment, looking over at Svleiva and his daughter. The queen must have won the argument because Mazi looked a bit like she was sulking. Loki and Hena were walking over with her now.

"I know Mazi would enjoy that." he said "Let me have a word with my wife. Excuse me." he turned slightly to walk over to Svleiva. Mazi was obediently saying her farewell to Loki, obviously still unhappy. Loki spoke to her assuredly, smiling as he gave her a hug. Lila watched them intently.

"You really want another kid here?" Hawkeye asked incredulously, staring at her with a bit of amusement.

"I know, I already have about ten." Laura responded.

"Count Clint twice." Tony interjected for her, raising a finger.

Laura smiled, but spoke to her husband "Trust me, it will be to our benefit to have Lila entertained."

"If we can handle another God." Hawkeye said, then paused and shrugged with one shoulder "Godness."

"I just hope I didn't start a war between those two." Laura said, pointing one finger briefly at Valder and Svleiva.

The king and queen were talking together now. Her expression showed a bit of disbelief, as if stunned he would suggest leaving their other daughter there.

"I doubt it." Hawkeye replied.

Loki and Hena were both listening to the conversation, eyebrows up in surprise. Mazi was saying goodbye to Cooper and Nathaniel now, so she wasn't aware of the situation. Svleiva glanced over at the group of Avengers just a bit away before looking back at her husband. Hena spoke up from behind her mother, seeming to advocate on Mazi's behalf.

It did take a moment, and Svleiva was obviously still uneasy, but she must have given her consent because Valder called Mazi over. She came, very disheartened, but her expression changed when her father spoke. She turned to her mother, eyes wide and mouth open. The queen nodded at her. Then Mazi let out an excited screech, attracting both Nathaniel and Cooper's attention. She went up to both Loki and Hena, talking and explaining what they had already heard so fast, they could barely understand her.

Valder glanced back from where he was returning to Laura, smiling. Then he turned back to the mortal.

"Well, it appears she's all yours for the time being. Tell Hena to send word when she needs to return to Anaheim. And please don't feel obligated to keep her. She's very well-behaved, but definitely has a lot of energy to keep up with."

"I should be okay, but I'll let you know if I need saving." Laura replied in amusement.

Valder smiled and dipped his head at her. Then he nodded at the others and lifted one hand in farewell.

"We will speak again soon."

Thor did the same to him as the king passed.

"And, _you_." he said, lifting up Mazi once he got there. She spread her arms like she was flying as she laughed. Valder looked up at her "You listen to the adults here, please."

"I will." Mazi promised as he set her down. Then he leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead. The girl ran over to her mother after that and wrapped her arms around Svleiva's legs. The queen lowered herself down and hugged her daughter.

"You behave yourself." she said sternly "Be very good and mind your manners. I might not be here to keep an eye on you, but Hena is."

Mazi nodded, doing her best to look serious.

"I love you." Svleiva said, tapping her daughter once on the nose, eyes earnest "You be safe. And stay out of trouble."

Mazi hugged her again "Don't worry, mother, Loki will be here to save us!"

Valder glanced over at Loki, amused.

Hena looked at the God of Mischief in mock amazement "Wow, look at you! You received the personal seal of approval!"

"I know. I feel very proud." Loki replied, nodding as if equally surprised.

Svleiva released Mazi "Well, let's hope it's not necessary!"

She got to her feet and walked over to give her older daughter a hug too. Then she gave one to Loki before returning to Valder. He smiled at her and then the bright light enveloped the two of them, causing everyone else to look away. They were gone as soon as they'd come.

* * *

"I have been practicing so much." Mazi said, nodding enthusiastically "But there were somethings I could not remember that you told me."

Loki and Mazi stood a few feet away from Hena, who listened to her little sister speak. It seemed that once again, the Avengers had nothing new to do, even with the information Valder had brought them. The mention of securing the nine realms had made Captain America curious as to what Odin would do for Midgard. But since Thor and the others were there, he wasn't sure if the Allfather would be paying a lot of extra attention in their direction.

"I haven't been able to make an illusion in a while." Mazi replied, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. Then they went up again in excitement "Can you show me how to do this one again?" she rounded her hands and placed one on top of the other.

Loki let out an amused breath before nodding as he got down on one knee beside her.

"Alright, keep your hands like you have there." he said, cupping hands into a ball. He brought it up to his mouth and then blew into it while opening his hands. A light yellow butterfly came out, flying upwards to the sky, wings fluttering earnestly. Mazi watched, a smile nearly covering her entire face. Lila stood a bit behind her, but her eyes were wide with astonishment.

Hawkeye looked at her, expression humorous as she observed something that usually only happened in stories.

"Now, you try." Loki prompted Mazi.

The little girl copied his previous actions, eyes concentrated. She opened her own hands, but an illusion did not appear. She scowled at the air as if it were at fault.

"You'll be able to do it." Loki said "You did it before."

Mazi nodded and then began to repeat the process. Loki watched with a smile as a butterfly proportional to her hands came out. It vanished before it could fly very high, but it was enough for the Anaheimien princess. She covered her mouth excitedly and then hopped up and down a few times, a shrill squeal escaping her mouth. Hena laughed silently as her sister thanked Loki and hurried over to Lila.

"Watch, I want to show you something." she said excitedly. Lila was all too happy to oblige.  
Loki got back to his feet, watching them for a moment.

"You would think that this was the first time you showed her that." Hena said, smiling.

"She was out of practice." Loki replied.

"But it came right back." Hena said "When you begin teaching her how to make an illusion of herself and vanish, let me know. I can hardly maintain an image myself."

"It is much easier to learn when you're younger, but you'll be able to eventually." Loki replied "Although, I don't recall you having that much interest in it."

"I was interested!" Hena objected indignantly, hands raising to her hips "But it is a very hard thing to do. Mazi seems to really enjoy it, so I would rather she learned first."

"Ah." Loki replied with a slight raise of his chin.

"Besides, you are much more patient with her than you are with me." Hena said quickly, as if trying to get in at least one insult.

"Excuse me?" Loki asked, eyebrows going up "Who was impatient with whom? You wouldn't even allow me to finish explaining."

"Untrue." Hena replied, although her humored voice indicated it was true.

"Also, you are older and it is much more difficult to teach someone who is already set in their ways." Loki said.

Hena folded her arms lightly, staring him down for a moment. Then she rolled her eyes.

"I concede." she said.

"You don't need to concede." Loki replied, smiling.

A low-pitched alert came from something in Tony's direction, causing those nearest to him to glance over. He held up his arm to take a look at his oversized watch.

"It's not an alarm." he said immediately, without looking at them "Nothing seems to have breached our atmosphere." then he paused as if something had just occurred to him "Although," he lowered his arm again, face contemplative "That is only where I have surveillance..."

"What?" Captain America asked.

Tony pointed a finger at him as he thought before turning around.

"What are you doing?" Captain America asked as the billionaire walked past him towards the house. Tony turned to him slightly and continued walking backwards.

"Well, I thought I would get a few more of my suits flying out and about, as well as coordinate a satellite search for a better perimeter. We might want a broader scope if things really are coming here invisibly." he spread his hands "If that's alright with you, of course."

He obviously wasn't expecting any permission, because he turned back.

"Oh, and Barton, Clint, Hawkeye, Natasha, Romanoff, whatever you want to be called," he said "We might want to get working on getting Fury's okay on using some SHIELD resources on the hunt for foreign invaders."

"You'll have to explain what's going on first." Black Widow called in return.

 _"I_ won't." Tony responded "So, do your best in keeping this a secret."

"Would your father consider waging war against this Thanos guy?" Hawkeye asked Thor, ignoring the man as he walked away. He tilted a head at Hena a few feet away "Because her father would and he's peaceful."

The prince sighed "Fighting a war, yes. Attacking would be unlikely. My father has not been the instigator of battle in a very long time."

"Good man." Captain America said, nodding at him with serious eyes.

"I do not believe that Valder was suggesting to attack straight away." Thor replied with a slight glance at Hena, who looked over at the mention of her father "He doesn't strike me as anymore battle thirsty than Odin. I suspect that we will need to monitor these near undetectable intrusions. That should give us enough justification to confront the dark beings."

"We've only fought one war in my lifetime." Hena said, speaking a bit louder than usual so they could hear her "But we are always prepared for it."

"Doesn't look like waiting will be an option anymore." Captain America responded "At least after Valder speaks to Odin."

"Offensive on the God of Death seems...like a gamble." Black Widow said.

"Then dig up those roulette skills." Hawkeye replied dryly.

"Oh I'm not the one who would be rusty." Black Widow replied shaking her head at him with a small smile.

"Should we send warning to Asgard about what's happening here now?" Volstagg asked "Odin should be cautioned."

"I have no doubts that Heimdall overheard our conversation." Thor replied with a nod "He will report as needed."

"You know, I've always relied on Heimdall for a lot of things." Fandral said "But it is worrisome to believe we cannot right now."

"He still sees most things that occur among the realms." Volstagg said "After all, we have never needed his abilities to be extended beyond the nine. That is where they are to be focused."

"I know." Fandral replied in exasperation "Which is why being attacked from people outside the nine realms is an unpleasant thought."

"Or within them." Sif reminded him "Heimdall couldn't see the frost giants when they came here until they interacted with us."

"You see?" Fandral asked, raising his eyebrows "Not a happy prospect."

"Well, Anaheim is outside the nine realms and we are standing with you. Many others will too." Hena pointed out.

"I hope so." Fandral replied "I would just be more comfortable if Heimdall was able to warn us."

"Me too." Captain America said "But then again, I've never been one to rely on the supernatural."

There was a moment of silence as they pondered that. Hawkeye turned to him, eyebrow up with an expression of disbelief "Uh, but aren't even my arrows supernatural to you?"

"You use vibranium." Fandral said, gesturing at his shield "A remarkably strong metal. Although that is not considered supernatural to us, it is to most mortals."

Captain America shrugged slightly. He had been about to give Hawkeye a look when the Asgardian spoke.

"But, you're not quite mortal. I understand." Fandral continued, nodding.

"Nope. He hovers just in the middle between the two." Hawkeye said, holding his fingers about an inch apart. Then he dropped his arm at the sound of his wife's voice "Alright, I'm rounding up the kids for a snack. Be right back."

He took a few steps away, looking up as he passed Hena "I'm not sure what Mazi eats, but..."

"She'll eat anything you have here. She won't be picky." Hena replied "Although, don't make her much. She won't eat a lot."

"Okay." Hawkeye replied with a thumbs up as he turned.

"Then again, I don't really know everything that they eat here." Hena said in Loki's direction "But she should be fine."

"I imagine." the God of Mischief replied.

Hawkeye called over to all the children, waving at them towards the house. Mazi was still showing Lila the butterfly trick, although she could only do it about every three times. Lila was trying to copy her, but, obviously, she didn't have any ability to do so.

Laura appeared on the porch with a tray of food. They still had a lot of the fruit from Anaheim, but she wasn't one to complain about healthy food lying around. She began walking towards the picnic table where Hawkeye intercepted her and took the tray. Nathaniel and Cooper were already seated and waiting. Lila was waiting for Mazi, but the princess appeared unsure. She looked back at Hena with a tilt of her head, eyebrows furrowed. Her older sister nodded at her affirmatively.

Thor watched the exchange thoughtfully.

"Then, you two can communicate through your minds as well." he observed.

"Yes, although, she is still learning." Hena replied "Takes a while to master it." she glanced at Loki "Not for Loki though. You like to show me up."

"It has proved most difficult." Loki replied evenly, sides of his mouth curving up. Hena smiled, nost wrinkling.

"Maybe we should try it for you." she said, looking at Thor with with excited eyes. He blinked at her.

"Uh. I've never...been one to do that sort of thing." he responded uncertainly.

"Correct, he's never been one to fool with useless spells." Loki said, rephrasing his brother's words. He didn't look away from Mazi as he said this.

Hena paused for a moment, eyes moving as if not sure what to say. Thor scowled at Loki in the mean time.

"Okay." Hena said finally "Apparently that's a sore...issue. Anyway, it would take you a while to learn, but I'm sure you could."

"Are you able to establish a connection with a mortal?" Fandral asked curiously. The jibe between the two brothers wasn't anything new to the Warriors, so they didn't even pause.

"I believe so, but that might take a little bit more effort than usual." Hena replied "We've never had to before." her voice changed just a little and her eyes went stern "Mazi, get down, please."

Her little sister stood on the bench of the picnic table, balancing on one foot, with her arms open wide. She froze at the sound of her sister's voice and then obediently hopped down.

"I would prefer we were able to bring you back to Anaheim just how you left." Hena said.

"You will." Mazi replied. Then she stepped back, eyes brightening "Catch me, Loki. Here I come!"

Loki turned to her fully as she began to run at him. When she was about a yard from him, she jumped into the air, flying into his arms. He caught her easily, although he did take one step back to carry her momentum. Mazi laughed in pleasure as he set her back down.

"Be careful." Hena said, although she was smiling.

"I would like to be taller." Mazi proclaimed, hanging on Loki's arm.

"I am so sorry, I don't have a spell for that." the God of Mischief replied, shaking his head in distress.

"Then lift me up." Mazi said. Loki raised his arm, pulling her up with it. She then grabbed ahold of his shoulder and pulled herself farther up. Loki had his arms ready to make sure that she didn't topple off, but the princess success fully maneuvered herself around until she was sitting on his shoulders.

"Now I am the tallest." she said triumphantly "I am taller than Hena."

Loki looked over at Hena in amusement, who folded her arms.

"I am the queen." Mazi said, arms in the air. She lowered them definitively "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Loki asked.

"That way." Mazi replied, pointing to her left.

"Apparently we will be back later." Loki said, addressing Hena. The little girl's legs were tucked around his arms and when he moved, she gripped his shoulders tightly. He had ahold of her, but she clearly wanted to secure herself as well.

"Good luck." Hena replied honestly, smiling.

"Go!" Mazi said impatiently. She leaned back abruptly as Loki took a few steps forward, laughing under his breath.

"You have to tell me where." he replied, continuing to walk "I can't just wander into oblivion."

They were still leaving when Thor finally blinked, rousing himself from staring. He didn't have experience hiding emotion, so the humor and pentinence on his face were obvious. Hena glanced in his direction, but her attention was drawn to Cooper and Nathaniel leaving the picnic table. All three of the children had picked the fruit bowls clean. There were still some miscellaneous snacks there, but nothing else.

"That was probably the easiest time I've ever had getting them to do that." Laura called over to her "You must know how to grow your gardens to make the fruit more sweet."

Hena smiled proudly "We do enjoy our fruit there. Anytime you need more, we can be sure to deliver. You are being rather generous with your home, after all."

"Oh, well, I'm not sure we'll even be able to eat everything you brought. Even with the children devouring it by the second." Laura replied, sounding a bit dismayed.

"It will last longer than you're used to." Hena told her "But we also make a lot of fruit into jam. Do you eat jam here?"

"Yes, plenty." Laura replied, nodding with her eyebrows up to signal that she meant it "But I don't make it."

"Well, I can show you." Hena said "I would love to show you. It's very simple and you can preserve it for longer."

Laura paused, as if really thinking about it.

"You know, I think I would actually enjoy that." she replied honestly "And they put jam on just about anything."

Hena nodded. She glanced over at Mazi and Loki once before beginning to walk to the house.

They were only a few yards away now. Her sister was back on the ground now, watching the God of Mischief manipulate the air with his hands. He appeared to be showing her an incantation, but it wasn't possible to tell what it was from her vantage point.

Hena smiled faintly at them as Loki jumped in mock surprise, like he had done something unexpected with the spell. Mazi's mouth opened wide for a moment, then she scolded him indignantly. Her voice sounded very similar to Hena's but in a higher pitch. The universe would have expected the little girl to hit Loki a few times, but she didn't. Instead, she resumed her careful listening to Loki's instruction. Her eyes were intent.

"Illusions of yourself are easiest to create." Loki said "And maintain."

"I want to be able to disappear." Mazi replied, her voice eager.

"You'll have to learn how to cast an image first." Loki maintained "And that will take time. Start with the smaller things and it will get easier over time."

She nodded just the same "That sounds excellent."

Loki smiled slightly at her exaggerated formality "Okay. Now, here."

He materialized one of his books and then set it carefully on the grass.

"Concentrate on the shape of the book." he said "Then focus on it being another shape. A sphere would be easiest, I believe."

It was harder to hear them from where he was, but Thor recognized the exercise his mother had done with Loki when he was younger. He'd feel the still solid shapes beneath the illusion when his brother could finally hold the spell. They had made short work of using that to trick the servants.

Loki took a few steps back, allowing Mazi some space as she practiced. He tucked his hands loosely behind him, silently observing.

"She seems so young for the amount of skill she already possess." Hogun commented.

Thor shrugged as if he agreed with him "They are a realm of magic."

"Technically the Aesir are as well." Volstagg said "They just don't all practice in the form that Frigga and Loki do."

"That takes a different disposition." Fandral agreed "Some of Anaheim's magic appears to be passed on only through the royal family. That would be useful. Especially as Valder said. Keeping any corruption out of the throne."

"We've managed to do that without magic." Sif pointed "Except when Loki took it during Thor's banishment."

Volstagg frowned slightly before glancing at her curiously.

"As much as I didn't enjoy Loki on the throne, and how weird it is for me to defend him, I have to disagree. Loki never took over the throne on Asgard. It was forced upon him when Thor was gone and Odin was was unable. It didn't seem like that at the time, but that's what happened."  
Sif was silent for a moment, her gaze mildly surprised and thoughtful.

"I suppose that's true." she said, grudgingly.

"Hena!" Mazi called over before spotting that her sister wasn't over there. Her eyes scowled, looking at Loki.

"Where'd she go?"

The God of Mischief also glanced briefly at the group where Hena had been not long before. He replied in a softer tone with a shrug. Then he gestured vaguely at the house.

"I want to show her this." Mazi said, her voice still bright, but with the barest hint of frustration.

"You can. Keep practicing and perfect it for when she returns." Loki replied.

"I have tried to be perfect." Mazi informed him "It does not work."

He smiled in return, gaze sparkling, as she readied herself to continue practicing anyway. Her eyes opened wide suddenly and she let out a low murmur of fear. She hurried over to Loki, eyes on something in the sky. She gripped the hem of his clothing as he followed her gaze, eyebrows up with his hands on her shoulders and back.

Two of the empty Ironman suits were flying towards the house, ready to make a landing not far from all of them.

"What are those?" Mazi asked, nervously tucked behind him.

"Nothing dangerous." Loki replied, glancing down at her. So many of the them had come and gone above them, none of the others had given the machines a second thought.

"Where are they from?" Mazi asked "Asgard?"

Loki shook his head "No."

"Jotunheim?" she asked, head tilted. She knew they were not of Anaheim.

Again, he shook his head "No. Midgard."

Mazi's eyebrows furrowed "Oh." she let go of him, peering at the landed suits. All thought of magic dispersed as the little girl began walking over to them. Loki followed her a little farther back, picking up his book as he passed it.

"Let's see what that's about." Captain America said, also heading the direction of the house.

Thor waited a moment, wanting to continue the conversation with his friends, but realizing that the moment had most likely passed. It was rare to hear Sif concede to anything.

Tony and Banner were just finishing a conversation Captain America walked up the steps. Hena and Laura were in the kitchen, talking.

"Something wrong?" the soldier asked. Tony looked over, eyes flicking side to side.

"Other than the impending doom of a God of Death?" he asked, shaking his head "Not a thing. Why?"

"Two of your machines are out there. Scared Mazi out of her wits." Captain America said. Hena looked over in surprise.

"Last time that happened, we had an issue at hand." Hawkeye reminded him, leaning against the door frame.

"Well tell Mazi I am so sorry." Tony said, putting a hand to his chest with his mouth open in dismay.

"It's okay!" the little girl came in, pushing past Hawkeye and Thor. She looked at Hena triumphantly "There you are."

Loki walked up behind her, his entrance quiet compared to hers.

"Not an issue, I'm just rotating them out." Tony continued, turning back to his transparent, electronic board.

"When you have completed your task here, I want to show you something." Mazi told Hena seriously. That sent a murmur of amusement through the adults in the room.

"I'm just about done." Hena replied, smiling "I was just showing her how we use our extra fruit."  
"Yes, jam." Mazi said, looking at Laura "Lots of jam. It is very good."

"I believe you." Laura said in return.

Hena stepped out of the kitchen "You can show me."

Mazi rose to her toes and then turned to Loki. She reached up and touched his book "I am going to borrow this. I will be very careful with it."

"Oh, thank you." Loki responded just before the little girl disappeared out the door.

"Don't tell me she's doing spells already." Hena said with amazed sarcasm, walking after her little sister.

"Don't worry, there's not one spell in that book." Loki replied. Hena laughed very quietly, remaining in the door to watch "I'm ready, Mazi."

"You don't use spells. I never understood why you studied them." Thor said towards his brother. Loki looked at him.

"How would you know?" he asked irritably, eyes narrowed.

"When do you say something out loud?" Thor asked.

"Why would I have to say something out loud?" Loki countered.

Thor blinked in surprise. He really didn't understand magic "It's not necessary to speak it?"

"Not for me." Loki said. He didn't sound flattered, arrogant, or proud as one would expect. His voice was flat.

"Then I assume mother didn't either." Thor replied, glancing down as he pondered that "When-"

"Shhhh." The God of Mischief raised a hand lightly, eyes focused as if listening to something intently all of sudden. Thor fell silent, watching him while he also listened. After a moment more of that, he spoke.

"What?"

"Nothing. But now you're quiet." Loki responded.

Thor straightened himself, scowling. Hawkeye suppressed a laugh, so all that came out was an amused breath. It almost would have been appropriate for Loki to stick out a tongue at his older brother, but he didn't. He just turned his attention to Hena as she stepped back in.

"She's very good at that." she said, speaking of her sister.

"She has a talent for it." Loki agreed, nodding.

"As you have one for mockery." Thor said, nearly under his breath.

"And you for ignorance." Loki replied "To put it mildly."

Thor shot him a look but the God of Mischief did not acknowledge it. Hena didn't say anything, but her mouth was open slightly, wondering what had transpired in those few seconds. She waited a moment in silence before mentally shrugging it off

* * *

Even though Mazi was staying mainly for Lila's benefit, she was enjoying her time with the two boys as well. In fact, she was practically hailed by Laura and Hawkeye for getting all of them to play together. The mortal children taught Mazi tag and she, in turn, taught them various games from Anaheim. Nathaniel and Cooper were also excited to show and be shown fighting techniques. Lila had eventually joined in with them, but only casually.

Together, Laura and Hena prepared a dinner for everyone. And, like her sister said, Mazi was first to finish and leave the table. Politely, however.

Loki had actually eaten with Hena this time. They'd been away from the others, closer to the living room. Beer and mead had made an appearance again later after dinner. All the mortals avoided the Asgardian liquor this time though.

The sun was getting lower in the sky and all of the children were still outside, much to Hena's dismay. Thor had gone out to speak with the guards for a moment, which comforted her. Loki reassured her many times as well. They were currently having a conversation between the two of them, which the Warriors would listen to every once in a while.

"I wouldn't worry so much about her out there." Loki was saying, referring to Mazi "She does what she's told. She'll come in when she's supposed to."

"I know. But, once it is dark, nothing is visible anymore. And being blind is very frightening to me." Hena replied, shaking her head lightly "Mazi knows she's not supposed to be out once it's dark. My mother is fairly firm on that."

"And no one wants a lecture from her." Loki mused.

"Hey." Hena folded her arms "You're right, but hey."

"It was not meant as an insult." Loki replied.

"Did your mother lecture you two when you were children?" Hena queried. Volstagg raised an eyebrow, interested in his response.

"Heavens yes." Loki said, nodding seriously.

"Did she punish you a lot?" Hena asked, smiling now.

"Well, how so?" Loki asked in return "We go into trouble, yes. Scolded and disciplined.

Punishment was less frequent."

"But you got into trouble a lot?"

"I mean, I don't know." Loki shrugged "Sure."

"Based on your memories of Thor, I would imagine he got into trouble more often." Hena said. Her voice suggested a question rather than a statement.

"Incorrect." Loki replied "Although that should have been the case."

"What do you mean?" Hena asked curiously.

"We were always doing things together. Which is ridiculous because it's much harder to get away with things with two people rather than one. And if Thor was in trouble, I could usually come up with a convincing enough lie. But if they saw through that then we were both chastised. Thor punished for whatever he did and I was in trouble for lying to them."

"Ah." Hena said with an upward nod "That's also why you're so good at it."

Loki glanced at her, half amused and half stern "I suppose so."

"Then did you always get into trouble together or did one of you do it more?" Hena asked, suppressing her laugh.

"The amount of times or quality?" Loki tilted his head.

This time, the Anaheimien woman just laughed right out loud.

"Is that how you view getting into trouble?" she asked, her grin huge. She lowered her voice to sound like him "'I only did it once, but don't worry. That was quality trouble. I have done well.'"  
Loki shrugged in good nature, but he didn't respond.

"In other words, you just didn't get caught like Thor did?" Hena concluded.

"Well. Most the things I did weren't really cause for concern." Loki replied.

"Oh, oh, oh, here they come." Hena said, pointing out the window. Indeed, all of the children were racing towards the house. It almost appeared as if Thor had joined them, but more likely he had just been heading in the same direction when they decided to head in.

"Sorry to deviate from our conversation." Hena said, attention back on Loki now.

One of the Anaheimien guards held out a hand to Mazi as she passed and she ran through it as if crossing a finish line. That made her giggle and he laughed quietly before resuming his post.

"Who's that?" Lila asked her as they came into the house.

"That is one of my guards." Mazi replied "He can be fun sometimes."

"Why do you have guards?" Cooper asked, his voice almost scornful.

"Because my dad is a king and bad people could try to hurt me." Mazi explained. Several of the adults in the room rose their eyebrows in surprise and amusement at her astute response.

"My dad is an agent and bad people try to get him all the time. He's impressive." Nathaniel said. Laura pressed her lips together, looking at Hawkeye dubiously. He shook his head slightly, ready to interfere as the comparing started.

"He is impressive." Mazi agreed kindly "And he should have guards too."

Cooper and Nathaniel looked shocked for a moment, but Lila didn't want to wait for them.  
"Come upstairs to my room." she told Mazi "I want to show you something."

"Will I like it?" Mazi asked excitedly, eyes lighting up.

"Mhm." Lila nodded.

"Okay." Mazi walked past her and the two of them headed up the stairs.

Captain America took a sip of beer, looking entertained. Thor walked in, greeted by Volstagg with an offer of mead. The God of Thunder accepted a glass, immediately taking a drink from it.

"We want some cream soda." Cooper said, going over to his mother. Laura nodded. It became a tradition for them to have a soda in a bottle very similar looking to their father's. But the mead looked more like cream soda than anything.

"How could you do that?" Hena asked Loki in a hushed tone, her voice completely horrified.

That piqued Thor's interest and he glanced over, glass still at his mouth.

"Well, I had to, it was the only way I could escape." Loki replied.

"Yes, but _how_?" Hena demanded "That's terrible."

Thor lowered his cup, so obviously staring at them. Hena noticed and smiled.

"Sorry, he's just telling me a...horrible story about when he was younger."

Loki looked over his shoulder at his brother for a moment, not as willing as Hena to bring him into the conversation.

"How he broke his own wrist to get away from the beasts on Alfheim." she said.

Thor raised his chin in realization "I remember that."

"That was one of the worst battles I can recall." Fandral added, showing that they were also listening in. Loki didn't acknowledge their words besides a small turn of his head.

"Honestly, a broken bone was the least of my worries." he said, still speaking to Hena.

"Yes, I know, but how could you _do_ that?" she repeated in exasperation.

"Well, it was either that or die." Loki replied "They had almost everyone else in binds and the beasts weren't going to let us go because they had a change of heart. Thor was being surrounded and everyone else was wounded or chained like me."

"But, self-harm..." Hena said, shaking her head with creased eyebrows.

"No, no, self-harm is when you're hurting yourself and you're at least partially enjoying it." Loki replied, waving a hand lightly "This was just to get away. The only thing preventing me from getting out was a bendable bond, so what would you expect?"

"I probably just would have died." Hena said, glancing away.

"I doubt it." Loki sounded amused now.

"How do you physically break your wrist?" Hena asked, turning to him in confusion.

"Well, you just." he held up his hand and looked at it. Then, his eyes flicked to Cooper and Nathaniel, who were watching intently. Loki lowered his arm back down.

"I should explain later." he told Hena "Or we'll have two broken-wristed children running around."

Hena glanced around at them briefly before nodding affirmatively. Then, almost in a contradictory movement, she shook her head briefly "Wow. Did you just figure out how to break a bone on the spot or had you done it before?"

"Thor had broken my wrist multiple times before." Loki said.

"On accident." Thor spoke up, scowling. His younger brother scoffed very quietly as if he didn't believe him. Or didn't care to have his opinion thrown in.

"I have broken maybe two bones in my lifetime." Hena replied "Mazi and I have never played or fought that rough before."

"That's because you're girls." Loki said, the corners of his mouth edging up "You know. Smarter. Thor and I would hold our breath until we passed out just to prove we could."

"Oh my." Hena shook her head, smiling at that in wonder "I'm surprised you made it to adulthood."

"Why? We didn't have too many near death experiences." Loki replied with an innocent shrug.

"And you didn't wise up after the first one." Hena said "I mean, what in the world would make you stop trying to get yourselves killed?"

"Actually, there was a point as a child when I did realize death was a possibility." Loki responded, eyes thoughtful. He didn't continue, so Hena had to prompt him.

"What was that?" she asked, grinning almost as if only humoring him.

"Well, one day when I went out to the lake by myself, I saw something in the water." Loki began, voice a bit more hushed now.

Hena tilted her head, eyes blinking with a sudden somber look. Loki paused again, mulling over the memory.

"It was a boy. Just a little younger than me." he continued, eyes distant "He was dead. And it must have just happened because the water hadn't washed away the blood yet."

Hena's hand slowly rose to cover her open mouth. The rest of the Asgardians stared at him, particularly Thor, who looked completely shocked. The Avengers were quieted too.

"I had just seem him play the day before." Loki said, shaking his head ever so slightly.

"Loki, dear heaven. I'm so sorry." Hena said, reaching out to touch his shoulder tenderly.

"Yeah." Loki still looked down. Then, after a brief moment, he looked back up at Hena, a smile barely hidden from his face.

Hena's expression immediately faded to seriousness. She took off her hand.

"You made that up?" she asked sharply, her tone holding complete disbelief as she stared at him.

"It's what I do!" Loki replied innocently, spreading his hands as he finally smiled.

Thor let his tense shoulders fall, lips pressed in irritation as he scowled over. The Warriors were also chagrinned, although all of the men looked vaguely impressed. Hawkeye turned back to the table, taking a drink to cover a chuckle.

"Insensitive, I know." Loki said still grinning. He let out a single laugh "But you were searching for something, so I had to give it to you."

"I hate you so much right now." Hena replied, still stoic with her arms folded "That was not funny, Loki."

"Not even just a little?" he asked, unrepentant.

"No. Skillfully done. But not funny." Hena replied, but her eyes suggested differently.

"Ah, too bad." Loki mused "I'm so sorry. I will do better next time."

"Dear God!" Hena swatted at him, eyes like amused needles " _Not_ funny."

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **These chapters are lighthearted for a reason. Remember them ;)**

 **I have an amazing scene coming up in a few chapters that I know many if you will enjoy. If you enjoy Asgardian family conflict, I think you will find this one entertaining and heart jerking.**

 **Also, I am not one to beg, but I am going to beg. PLEASE REVIEW! ;)**


	27. The Reasons Why

**Hello my readers, hope all is well. Another chapter is written and ready to ready. and consider reviewing at the end :)**

 _I'm really surprised that they haven't brought in help from their own realm._

Hena watched Lila and Nathaniel repeatedly tag each other back and forth every few minutes. They were both much slower than Mazi or Cooper, so if they were playing tag, the "it" position generally transitioned between them. Cooper hadn't caught onto the idea to let them catch him every once in a while, but Mazi was all too willing to take a turn being the chaser.

 _They don't want to start a panic supposedly. Midgard definitely doesn't have the type of mass control like Anaheim or Asgard. And when they do try it under their own means, they tend to kill off a large portion of people on the planet._

Loki was inside and Hena was outside with Mazi, but that didn't stop the two of them from talking every once in a while. It was cloudy like the majority of the day had been yesterday, but it wasn't the type of cloud that usually created a storm.

 _Well, not being prepared for someone like Thanos might be worse than that_. Hena responded.

 _That's true._ Loki said.

Laura hadn't asked for Mazi to spend the night, but she had gotten everything all ready for it. She had shared Lila's room. Hena had just told her parents that without anything said between her and Laura. The girls had a wonderful time, although Mazi did leave in the middle of the night to climb in with Hena. She'd returned before morning and Lila had never known the difference.

"That is not a happy face." Black Widow said over to Banner. He looked up at her from the screen in front of him.

"No, I...uh...am just thinking." he replied, gripping his face lightly and squeezing towards the edges of his mouth as stared at the board. There had been a few more invisible intrusions in the night and they all looked about the same as the first one.

"Well, if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands." Tony said, enunciating each word individually. He waited a moment, but half of them couldn't hear and the other half just didn't clap.

"I knew it." he said.

Cooper had somehow been tagged to be "it" and was currently chasing Nathaniel and Mazi towards the house. Lila seemed to have avoided the conflict for the time being. They ran in and into the kitchen almost instantly. Mazi's face was exhilarated while Nathaniel just looked petrified. She was ahead of them and therefore led the way through the people. She was also a lot better at squeezing through all of them. Nathaniel pushed both Fandral and Tony out of the way in his rush.

"Hey, hey! Take it outside guys." Hawkeye said in irritation.

Hearing this, Cooper changed course and tried to intercept them instead. But Mazi wasn't fooled. She slipped behind the couch and jumped over the cord extending from the lamp to hurry towards the door.

Nathaniel stumbled over the cord, but continued on. Unfortunately, Cooper pulled it sharply without noticing and it tugged the lamp sideways.

The only one nearby was Loki, who instinctually jerked to catch it and slowly pushed it back onto the side table. Mazi twisted around, her face anxious. She was only one who noticed something was wrong. Nathaniel went out the door, but Cooper nearly ran into her. He pushed her lightly before following his brother, yelling "you're it!" Laura called after them, but they didn't hear.

Mazi didn't move though, even with the force of the tag. Her eyes were still wide as she realized what had almost happened. Loki glanced over at her. He urged her on with a hand.

"It's alright." he said reassuringly "Go ahead."

She slowly took a few steps backwards and then rotated fully to run outside.

Loki turned back to his book, but then reached down to carefully straighten the lamp shade back to its original position. After a moment, he closed what he was reading and followed the children's footsteps outside. Thor leaned to watch him. It was a reaction to his brother leaving his sight he had not had for several days now.

"How many lamps would that have been?" Black Widow asked.

"They've only broken one." Hawkeye said, looking at her sternly, but with laughing eyes.

"This month?" Black Widow inquired.

"That's probably where your paycheck goes." Tony said.

Hawkeye scoffed at him, shaking his head, but he didn't reply. A comfortable silence remained after until Laura spoke.

"I'm confused." she said.

"Where my paycheck goes?" Hawkeye asked, glancing at her.

"No." Laura paused "I am usually very good and getting a sense for a person, but I cannot figure him out." She pointed at the door.

"Who, Loki?" Hawkeye asked. Thor's eyebrows went up.

"Yep." his wife replied.

"Join the club." Hawkeye responded with a short laugh "Trust me, we get it. I mean, Thor lived with him for..." he looked at the God of Thunder "I honestly have no idea how long, but let's say centuries. He lived with him for centuries and still can't figure him out. Don't be hard on yourself."

"What makes you say that now?" Thor asked Laura.

"Look, I get him catching the lamp." she said "Even if you didn't care about it, you just catch it out of instinct. But FIXING the shade? No hardcore killer does that. I mean, not even you-" she gestured at Hawkeye "-would do that." And looked back at the lamp "And it's _straight_."

"You're right, he should go into interior decorating." Tony said, looking around the house.

Laura took a deep breath "I'm just saying...that after watching what happened in New York and...with Clint and everything else, I really expected a blood-sucking devil." she looked pointedly back at side table "Not someone who not only catches, but straightens, a lamp."

"Well, believe it or not, this is closer to how he used to be." Fandral said.

Laura sighed "It's just...weird."

There was a second of thought among all of them, as if they wanted to say more, but had no idea what to say.

"Okay, enough characterizing, I'm going to go talk to Cooper." Laura said finally "He probably wouldn't have stopped even if the lamp had fallen over." Hawkeye replied "Now Mazi, Mazi was concerned."

"They told her to behave and breaking a lamp probably would have been equivalent to breaking the law to her." Black Widow said with a hint of sarcasm.

Banner muttered something to Tony, pointing out something on one of the many videos they were watching. Tony leaned in with squinted eyes before raising his eyebrows thoughtfully.

"Maybe we need him to come back in." he said "Loki. There's something different on this one."  
"What do you mean?" Captain America asked, without moving from the kitchen chair.

"There's some sort of a shimmer." Banner said, gesturing at the screen vaguely "Or a ripple in the air."

"How can you see air moving?" Hawkeye asked. That was a fair question. After all, no tangible substance appeared to make it move.

"You know when there's a fire? And you can see the air right above it. Almost like you're looking through a magnifying glass the wrong way?" Banner asked, hand still hovering by Tony's board.

"Okay." Captain America nodded slowly.

"That's what I see. In a few different spots on the video." Banner said "But I don't see it on the others."

"Me neither." Tony confirmed. He cupped his hands around his mouth "Loki, oh, Loki, where hath thou gone?"

"He couldn't explain what happened before, why could he now?" Captain America asked honestly.

"We don't know what a 'portal' looks like unless someone is coming through it." Tony said "Maybe this is it."

"Or maybe, he'll tell you the exact same thing he did before." Captain America replied with a shrug.

"You don't like consulting him do you?" Tony asked.

"No, not really." Captain America said "We've done it plenty of times already."

"And he's been reluctantly helpful." Tony replied, spreading his hands.

"I agree. But we don't need to ask him every single time something changes in the slightest. Personally, I think you're annoying the heck out of him."

"Say hell. I dare you." Tony said, pointing at him with the pen in his hand. Captain America just tilted his head at him.

Laura had put a stop to the running outside the house, which might have been best because the sun was coming out and all of the children were already sweating buckets. She was coming back inside to get them water and Hena joined her on the way over. Nathaniel and Cooper had already taken seats on the porch, panting hard.

"What did he say?" Hawkeye asked once they came in. Laura shook her head in amusement.

"He said sorry. And claimed that he had no idea what happened."

Hawkeye sniffed "Of course not. Just like 'Not Me' always breaks the toys. We need official adoption papers for him."

"Or her." Laura replied. She glanced back at Hena, keeping her smile in check "Do you want some lemonade? I'll take some out to the girls."

"Hm?" Hena asked, confused. She smiled apologetically "I'm sorry, I don't know what lemonade is."

The comment earned a ripple of laughter in the room, which didn't seem to upset Hena.

"Oh, no, _I'm_ sorry." Laura smiled now "It's a drink. Water with lemon flavoring in it."

Hena raised her chin in realization "We drink lemon water all the time."

"Well. It's not quite like lemon water. It has a lot of sugar in it." Laura said.

"Sugar?" Hena asked in surprise "In water? Interesting. We've never done that. I think I will pass, but Mazi might appreciate it."

"I'll put a little less flavoring in hers." Laura said "Maybe ease her into it."

"Thank you." Hena replied gratefully.

"No problem." Laura walked into the kitchen. She reached to open the cabinet and pull out a canister of powdered lemonade.

The Anaheimien woman looked around the room for a moment. She let out a startled breath.

"The emotions in here are very negative right now."

Fandral almost laughed at her, but settled for a chuckle under his breath.

"There we go, that's better." Hena said, glancing at him "Sometimes it helps to call attention to it."

"Can you really feel that?" Banner asked, sounding like he couldn't even imagine it "And I feel like I have to worry about my own emotions."

"You do." Hawkeye said, blinking at him "More than most of us."

"Unless you need the other guy." Banner replied, dryly "Then Banner's tossed out the window."

"Tossing you out the window would only bring him faster, so I'm sure we wouldn't do that." Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"That's gross, you know that?" Banner asked, shaking his head "That's just gross to think that way."

"Okay okay. Peace, peace." Hena said, flicking her hands as if literally sending out the emotion "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to start a war here."

"You didn't." Tony told her "Not at all, we're good buddies, right?" he squeezed Banner a few times before letting him go. The scientist nodded after him sarcastically.

Laura stirred the drinks with a spoon for a moment.

"Cooper! Nathaniel!" she called. Immediately, the two boys came running into the house, nearly tripping on the carpet this time. Cooper grabbed his first and took a big drink from his cup. He let out a huge breath once he stopped and wiped his mouth.

"Thanks, Mom." he said.

"Yes, thank you." Nathaniel echoed.

"You're welcome." Laura replied, picking up the other two glasses.

"Oh, I can take them out." Hena offered, walking over to take them from her.

"If Mazi wants plain water instead, let me know." Laura said, letting her take them.

"I'm sure she'll like it." Hena replied, turning. The sun was way out from behind the clouds now, allowing the light into the house.

"Oh, I hope Loki remembers that Mazi..." she walked closer to the door before smiling "Of course he did." she glanced back at the others, who watched curiously.

"Mazi isn't supposed to be in the direct sun very long." she explained "It made us both really sick from the time were born. It doesn't bother me anymore. Loki knew that while he was on Anaheim, but I wasn't sure if he would have remembered. But he did. He's standing in front of the sun. She's out there, playing in his shadow." Hena sighed through her nose happily. Then she turned to Nathaniel and Cooper.

"Word of advice. Be a man who remembers things you tell them. I promise, it will help you find a woman very quickly. It's very charming." she said.

Thor blinked in surprise, but she didn't wait for a response from the children. Neither of the two boys seemed to understand quite what she was saying, but to their credit, they did listen.

Cooper turned back to his mother, holding up his cup for more lemonade.

"Can I have gummy bears?" Nathaniel asked.

Laura nodded. Then her gaze moved to Hawkeye.

"I wasn't thinking about sugar until Hena mentioned it." she said, eyebrow raised "Now I feel like a bad parent."

"Well, they haven't died from their diet yet." Hawkeye shrugged "And I'm rarely here, so I think that you're doing just fine. I don't think she was judging you either."

"Oh I know _she_ wasn't, but I am." Laura said with a laugh. She took a few steps back and opened the cupboard next to her to pull out the packet of gummy bears. She handed them to Nathaniel and he took them eagerly. He thanked her again and then turned to run outside.

"I think he's gonna have Mazi taste them." Cooper said as he waited for Laura to make more lemonade.

"Oh?" she asked "How come?"

"Because she hasn't had them before." Cooper explained. He reached to grab a handful of grapes from the bowl on the table "And they're his favorite."

"Yes, let's begin her journey in the American diet." Banner muttered under his breath as he examined the screen. It wasn't loud enough for the child to have heard, but it made Black Widow smile. It was true though. The Anaheimien people seemed to have a very healthy diet of mainly fruits and vegetables. Probably some meat or another and grains. It still didn't explain why both Valder and Svleiva were so much bigger than their children.

Hena came back in, relieved of the two glasses this time.

"What did she think?" Laura asked, looking over expectantly. Even though no one really cared that much, several of them in the room also listened for a response.

"Of the lemonade?" Hena checked. Then she shrugged "I don't think she noticed, to be honest. She'll just accept whatever you give her here."

* * *

The sun was hiding beneath clouds again, so Loki didn't follow Mazi to ensure she was covered any longer. She met Nathaniel about halfway to the house and he handed her what could have only been a gummy bear. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at it and then him.

Loki watched them briefly before something caught his eye out in the treeline. He glanced over, but saw nothing. The forest-like area was still. His eyes narrowed as he leaned his head to the side slightly. He raised his chin as it happened again just outside of his line of vision.

Continuing to peer out, he took a few steps back towards Mazi, Lila, and Nathaniel.

"Loki."

The God of Mischief did not jump at all, but looked back to see Thor approaching. He had a curious and slightly foreboding expression. He didn't know why he'd decided to come outside now, but he could tell Loki wasn't as relaxed as usual.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Loki returned his eyes to where the movement had first occurred, but then turned fully back to face the house.

"Nothing." he said as he began to walk back.

"What were you watching?" Thor asked, not letting him off that lightly.

"You were watching me, evidently." Loki replied, stopping a few paces away from Mazi and the others.

Thor looked back at where he'd seen his brother staring, studying the trees carefully.

"We've had a few close calls here. If something were to appear, you'd be the first to know. So, yes, I do watch you."

"Hm." Loki didn't look at Thor as he spoke. "Cover up honesty. Not very impressive, but I suppose it's a start. There was nothing there."

The God of Thunder didn't respond, but he continued inspecting the area.

"By all means, staring will make it better." Loki said with a small roll of his eyes.

"Can you blame me for trying to check for myself?" Thor challenged, giving him an irritated hard stare "You know when things are going to appear. You have an advantage."

"To have an advantage, I'd have to keep it to myself." Loki corrected.

"Then you have security." Thor reiterated to him.

"There's nothing there." Loki said again "Now, if you wouldn't mind, go away."

Thor scowled at him, shaking his head in annoyance. Then he left his younger brother's side, glancing back briefly to recheck the forest, as if something would have changed.

"How old are you?" Mazi was speaking to Lila head tilted.

"I'm seven." Hawkeye's daughter replied "And...four months. Almost five."

"That's very nice." Mazi said kindly.

"Do you know what you want for your next birthday?" Lila asked. Loki raised one eyebrow, interested in the little girl's response. They didn't have those same customs on Anaheim or on Asgard.

Mazi scowled briefly, confusion the main emotion on her face.

"No. We don't do that on Anaheim." she said, which was an impressive response for her being so young.

Lila looked taken aback "What? You don't get presents on your birthday?"

Mazi shook her head "No. We have celebrations other times though."

"We always have a party on our birthdays." Lila replied incredulously "My dad can't always make it though." she reached out to take Mazi's glass from her "I will take these inside. Be right back."

She turned and skipped past Loki by the porch and went into the house. The God of Mischief was reading his book now, but he did glance up at Mazi for a moment. She was looking over at the barn just a little ways away from the house, head tilted curiously.

* * *

Hena wrapped a piece of her hair around another bundle of hair and then wove it into the braid wound on the back of her head. Her eyes were concentrated, although she wasn't looking into a mirror. She was staring at Tony and Banner by the surveillance videos, but wasn't focusing on them. She'd done Mazi's hair in a similar fashion this morning, which had caught Lila's attention. Hena didn't need to see her hair as she delicately wrapped it into a design. Then again, she could have easily dedicated several years of her long life to learning.

Thor was watching her subtly every so often. She had grown comfortable with all of them very quickly. Hogun and Sif still tiptoed around his mortal friends warily. He supposed it was just personality that determined that.

Fandral was sitting nearby her, making it more obvious that he wanted to get her attention. He'd had a talent for attracting women his whole life and certainly wasn't going to suppress that now. Thor almost had to roll his eyes at his friend, but he found it entertaining more than anything.

"What's on your mind?" Captain America interrupted his thoughts with the question. Thor glanced at him and smiled slightly.

"Nothing that should be." he admitted with a breathy sigh.

"Well, you were eyeing Fandral, so you were either dozing off or waiting for him to make a move on Hena." Captain America said with a small chuckle.

"And they say mortals can't read minds." Thor responded, echoing his laugh.

"That seems like too much responsibility." Captain America said, glancing down with one more smile as the amused moment faded.

To top it off, Fandral finally did start a conversation with the maiden of Anaheim within seconds of them finishing speaking. She responded kindly and enthusiastically just as she always did, but they were interrupted commotion outside.

"Mazi, what are you doing?" that was Loki from just a few feet from the door.

There were a few clatters on the ceiling, making everyone glance in that direction momentarily.  
Loki could be seen looking up above the house with his hands on his hips and face exasperated.

"How did you even get up there?" he asked, spreading his arms questioningly, although he was nearly laughing.

"Is she...?" Hena began walking towards the door, shaking her head with every step.

"Get down." Loki said, obviously being spoken to by Mazi. He raised his arms, beckoning her.

"Is she up there?" Hena asked, leaning out the door to look at him.

Loki pointed up, raising his eyebrows "Yes. Right up there walking on the roof."

Laura opened her eyes wide in surprise, but she didn't say anything. It was a very tall house for such a little girl to have managed to get up on top of.

"Mazi!" Hena scowled out the door even though she couldn't see her "Get down, right now before you get hurt."

Loki stared up at her, expression expectant. Then it faded to amusement. He beckoned her again and then Mazi could be seen jumping down into his arms. He set her on the ground and she turned, proud, yet sheepish.

Hena frowned at her and her little sister immediately looked down to avoid her gaze.

"Please don't." Hena said "I really would prefer that you didn't get hurt and especially under my watch."

"But you're not mother or father." Mazi mumbled.

"No, but I still love you. Besides," Hena folded her arms, suddenly looking indignant "I'm very fun, even if I do have to be responsible. I let you get away with things that they wouldn't."

"Fine, that's true." Mazi agreed "You are very fun."

"So, please don't get on the roof anymore." Hena told her. Then she raised an eyebrow "Plus, this is not your home, remember?"

"Oh I was very careful." Mazi nodded vigorously "And Nathaniel and Cooper said that they get balls stuck on the roof, so I threw a lot of them back down for them."

That brought a big, endeared smile to Laura's face. The other adults all shared a small moment of amusement, shaking their heads briefly.

"That was very sweet." Hena said.

"And it was also fun." Mazi added quickly, a tiny bit of defiance returning to her voice. Her older sister blinked in exasperation, but she did not scold the little girl any longer.

"Do you know where Cooper went?" Mazi asked her, changing the subject without even realizing it.

"He's upstairs." Laura answered for her "I think he is in his room."

"I like him." Mazi informed her randomly "And he likes me."

"You _like_ him?" Hena asked in amusement. She looked over at Loki with a very bright expression and he shrugged.

"Yes." Mazi replied "He is very nice sometimes and he held my hand outside." she let out a deep breath and then her eyes lit up with anticipation.

"I'm going to go see if I can get him to kiss me."

All of them were so surprised that no one even responded to her as she ran upstairs. Most of them laughed, Captain America among them.

"Wow, she's practicing the art of seduction already. What are you teaching her?" Loki asked, turning to Hena plaintively. She gently shoved him.

"Young child love. It's sweet."

"Best tell her now that one of them is mortal and one of them is not." Loki replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Why? I think it's sweet when we fall in love with mortals sometimes." Hena replied, still smiling "It changes things up a bit."

Loki glanced at her, corners of his mouth tipped up "If you say so."

"I do say so, thank you." Hena said. She sighed gently.

"Did you ever have child love for a girl?"

Loki paused, eyes flicking up, as if actually thinking about it for her.

"No."

"Really?" her voice held surprise."I did. Many times." she glanced at the Warriors and Thor, who were nearest to her "Did any of you? Maybe I am abnormal."

"I did." Fandral said hesitation, smiling "Many times."

Volstagg rolled his eyes and then shrugged.

"I wouldn't really know or remember. It's possible."

Hena looked at Sif and Hogun. Both of them just shook their heads at her, so she moved on to Thor. He took in a deep breath.

"Well, I suppose she wasn't really a childhood love as much as a girl I met when I was younger. She was very beautiful. We talked for a while one day and I really liked her. But after that, she left and I didn't see her again. I have no idea what happened to her. She must have been from Vanaheim or another realm. That has always irritated me." Thor turned to the Warriors "Do you remember her?"

"Only from your stories." Volstagg said with another shrug "We never met her."

Fandral nodded in agreement. Loki was scowling at Thor thoughtfully.

"Her name isn't coming to mind right now." The God of Thunder said.

"Wait. You fell in love with a girl after one conversation and you can't even remember her name?" Hena asked in amusement.

"I was young. That was a very king time ago." Thor replied, sounding a bit defensive. Then he glanced at Loki "Do you remember? You weren't far off, if I recall."

"Elainya." Loki responded, voice slightly curious.

"Yes, right." Thor said, voice a bit more bright as he nodded "I asked after her everywhere, but she wasn't known among Asgardians. At least the ones I asked."

Loki's eyes went to the ground, jaw shifting to the side slightly.

"What?" Thor asked, with a bit of indignance.

Loki looked back up with a deep breath, the laughter now showing on his face.

"You still think she was real?" he asked quietly, voice trembling with amusement. He stared at his older brother, shoulders vibrating as he laughed silently, a smile on his face.

Thor's expression immediately fell to seriousness, as if something had just dawned on him. Volstagg and Fandral shared a look, both hiding grins.

"What?" Thor asked, now in disbelief. The look on his face only made Loki raise a hand to cover his mouth as he laughed.

"Are you telling me she was an illusion?" Thor demanded.

"Didn't you find it odd that she disappeared off the face of the universe without a trace?" Loki asked, still smiling. Hena's own mouth curved up, lips pressing together. She tried to look scolding, but couldn't seem to manage that.

" _She could have been from another realm._ " Thor said, voice outraged.

"Well, true." Loki replied "But she wasn't. You can let go of the vision of Elainya, Thor. Go chase another one."

"Loki, you're a bastard." Thor said, clearly not amused whatsoever.

"I thought you _knew._ " Loki replied, getting himself under control now "It's been a very long time."

"Yes, it has." Thor replied, tone grudging as he glared at his brother.

Hena's eyes flicked in between them for a moment "Well, we can still call it young love, even if she wasn't real."

"Can we?" Thor replied, arms folded. Loki looked back at him, completely unrepentant.

"Yes, I think so." Hena said, nodding several times to pacify him "Anyway, back to Mazi and Cooper."

"Are they a couple now?" Hawkeye asked, smiling. Clearly, the other Avengers still found it amusing that Thor had been so fooled, even if he was a friend. The God of Thunder was still standing rather sullenly. The conversation was interrupted as the children whose emotions had created the young love topic came down. Mazi and all three other children hurried down, making a break for the door as if their lives depended on it all of the sudden. It became apparent they were having a race once Mazi let out a yell of triumph from outside.

"No, but we can entertain their fantasy for a moment." Hena said, waving a hand innocently.

She looked over at Loki, whose face had turned thoughtful again. Her eyebrows went up and she would have spoken if he had not done so first.

"Wait a moment." he said, turning to face Thor full on "If you didn't know what I had done, why did you come later that day and pick a fight with me? I thought that was because you knew about it. You were horrendous that day. You quite literally beat the life out of me. I know you remember that."

Thor went completely silent. Then his widening eyes moved away without saying anything. Hena looked slightly surprised, obviously also expecting an answer.

When Thor still didn't answer, it was Loki's turn to frown. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrows going up expectantly.

"That..." Thor was clearly trying to come up with something on the fly "That was just a..."

"A what? A random display of affection? I certainly hope not." Loki replied, clearly not in a laughing mood any longer.

"It was more like a...challenge..." Thor mumbled.

Loki squinted in confusion, eyes irritable "What?"

Thor went quiet yet again, obviously rethinking how he wanted to say it.

Then Loki's eyebrows rose in realization.

"You mean like a _dare_?" he asked, blinking several times at his brother.

"Kind of." Thor replied, keeping his answers short.

Loki glanced at Hena, who was staring at Thor in pure and utter disbelief. Captain America Hawkeye, Tony, Black Widow, Banner, _and_ Laura were all listening very intently alongside the Warriors.

"Let me get this straight." Loki said, holding up a hand slightly "You came and beat the _hell_ out of me on a _dare_?" then he looked over at Volstagg and the others. Fandral shook his head immediately.

"It wasn't them." Thor said, shaking his head as well "They were nicer than that. And it wasn't really a dare anyway. This was other friends. I just...wanted to impress them."

Hena opened her mouth, staring at him incredulously.

"Oh, wow." Loki said, rolling his eyes ever so slightly "And I'm sure you did. It was spectacular. You were a very successful abusive older brother."

"Look, I..." Thor let out a deep breath "I wanted them to like me, as I did with most people. I was young and impulsive."

"Right." Loki nodded in understanding "And now you're just old and impulsive, yes?"

Thor scowled, but then sighed. Hena was shaking her head slowly, clearly unable to fathom the thought.

"I felt bad, Loki." Thor said, sounding embarrassed.

"Oh, of course." Loki nodded as he waved a hand "You felt bad and that's why you didn't decide to beat me to _death._ "

"You could have gone and told mother or father and defended yourself." Thor mumbled, weakly attempting to shift the blame.

Hena gasped as she turned to Loki "You didn't...?"

"One of the things I take pride in is never ever having been a tattletale." Loki replied.

"Oh my gosh." Hena put her hands over her mouth.

"I felt awful, I really did." Thor said quickly "I apologized. I tried to make it up to you."

"Why didn't you tell your parents?" Hena demanded from Loki, hardly acknowledging Thor's defense.

"Well...what older brother likes a little brother who gets him in trouble?" Loki asked, eyes falling to her dubiously.

"Oh no." Hena moaned, face falling into her hands. Loki patted her very gently on the shoulder.

"See, look what you've done." he said to Thor, gesturing at Hena. Then he raised his eyebrows.

"So. How often did _this_ happen? Because I can remember numerous times where you seemed angry without cause."

"They didn't actually dare me to do it. I was just showing off...sort of." Thor said with a small uneasy shrug "That was the only time. And I'm aware that it was stupid."

"Did your mother and father not see that you were hurt?" Hena asked, eyes sharp. Thor pressed his lips together.

"They weren't always around. They were the king and queen after all." Loki reminded her. He shrugged ever so slightly "I just went to the healer by myself."

"You used magic to hide it, didn't you?" Hena accused, shaking her head slowly.

"They found out eventually." Thor said.

"Yes, but not from me." Loki replied bitterly.

"And do you remember who defended you?" Thor asked, voice drawing strength "Odin. He was so angry, I swear he could have banished me then too."

"He was livid." Loki agreed "I was very surprised." then he sniffed in contempt "Still am."

Thor scowled at him, but the annoyance didn't last long.

"Did they know the whole story?" Loki asked "That would make a lot more sense because I was so confused as to why they were so mad at you, but hardly batted an eye in my direction."

"Yes they knew." Thor obviously didn't relish that memory at all.

"How did they find out then?" Fandral asked, wanting to know more of the story, despite the tension.

Loki looked at the God of Thunder, unable to answer.

"Well, one of the women in the group who knew about it was...really unhappy with me." Thor said "She went and told Odin."

"Ah." Loki replied with a small nod.

"Did you even defend yourself while he was hurting you?" Hena demanded.

"Yes, but how could I really?" Loki spread his hands "He was twice my size at the time and I was just barely beginning to learn magic."

Hena stared at him as if she could start crying.

Loki smiled faintly "It's alright. I'm right here."

"Barely." Hena replied. She turned to Thor swiftly.

"How could you do that?" she asked, voice slightly higher pitched "He was your younger brother and he could hardly help himself then."

"It is not like I was pleased afterwards." Thor said, his voice now slightly indignant under the guilt.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked dryly.

"Yes." Thor replied shortly.

Fandral cleared his throat "Forgive my curiosity, please, but how do you actually start a fight if you don't have anything to be mad about?" he asked, tilting his head.

Loki smirked a bit, eyes narrowed.

"Would you like to tell them how you began your little _challenge_? Your little experiment? Your show?"

Thor opened his mouth for a moment, then let out a deep breath. He turned away.

"No."

"How?" Hena asked. She glanced towards the door for a moment. Mazi's voice could be heard calling someone from outside.

Loki paused a moment and then patted her again "Nevermind. Better not scar you anymore, dear Hena."

Thor frowned, peering back over at him.

"I'll be back in a moment. Best not leave your little sister unattended to." Loki said, giving his older brother a hard stare with a raised eyebrow. Really, he just wanted an excuse to leave the room.

As he left, Hena turned to Thor again with a sharp breath, but she said nothing.

"You can tell him about all the times you also defended him." Fandral suggested "That could help."

"No, don't do that." Hena said, shaking her head "He absolutely despises being viewed as the weaker of the two of you."

"I know." Thor replied with a sigh "But he's hardly that _now._ "

"Technically he shouldn't be mad at you for that." Volstagg pointed out "He used magic to trick you many times."

"I started fights with my brothers too." Fandral said "Though, not like that."

Thor opened his mouth, shut it, and then opened it again.

"A lot of his tricks were harmless." he admitted. He shook his head "I was very cruel to him that day. Some of the ideas I put into his head were not corrected."

"I know, I can see the memories." Hena replied, her voice back to normal now "I mean, I know you were young and boys do stupid things, but you were old enough to know better. We may age slower than mortals, but we usually don't mature slower."

"Who were you with that would encourage you to do this?" Hogun asked. It was rare to have him speak around the mortals.

"Calder and Sten." Thor replied "And they didn't actually encourage me to do it. They'd been talking about Loki beginning to learn magic with my mother. I didn't like hearing about that from them."

"You were jealous?" Hena asked, watching him for a response as she blinked multiple times in disbelief.

"I suppose so." Thor said, with a roll of his eyes at himself "And I decided I could do something to prove I was definitely still stronger than him."

"You know, I'm starting to see why Loki turned." Tony said, nodding slowly.

"Aha." Hawkeye replied sarcastically.

"Don't let your sons do that to each other." Hena advised, looking at Laura. Then she returned her eyes to Thor "Honestly though, he kind of took that in a more light-hearted manner than I would have expected."

"He doesn't tend to forgive very quickly." Thor responded "At least when it comes to Odin and me."

"Well, just carry on with what you're doing now and needle your way back under his barricade." Hena said "He's definitely opened up a bit since you first brought him here."

"Really, since you came." Thor replied.

"While that may be true, I think you are confusing openness with friendliness. He more willingly gives information right now." she smiled slightly "He might snap at you while he does it, but it happens."

Thor thought in silence for a moment, as if pondering her words. Meanwhile, Hena glanced back towards the window.

"I think I will..." she pointed over at the door briefly "Go outside. Check on what Mazi wanted. Feel free to join."

Then she turned leave the house, her dress flowing lightly at the movement. Thor watched, lips pressed together.

"Thor, what are you supposed to do? Feel bad for everything you ever did?" Sif asked, knowing what was going through his head.

"No." Thor replied "But none of you were there to see it. I treated him as if he were lower than the dirt on my boots. And, he was different around me for a while after that. Wary. We fought verbally at that time, as you know, but he would be the peacemaker and withdraw."

"Well, I wish I would have been there. Probably would have wondered what the hell you were doing." Volstagg said. Him and Thor had been acquaintances at that time, not quite as friendly as they were now. But Volstagg had always been extremely just. Very dense in the mind, but just. Thor was aware he would have intervened. In fact, any of his friends most would have, if they'd been friends then. But it wasn't just that day that weighed on his mind, although that was probably the worst of it. It was the fact that he could finally begin to understand why Loki felt the way he did. Thor believed his brother took it too far and exaggerated somethings in their childhood, but there was also a ring of truth to his resentments. Even if the things Thor had done weren't intentional or even really thought through, Loki remembered and felt things far deeper than he did.

* * *

"You'll have to jump to get it." Loki said, holding the book above Mazi's head. She jumped up, eyes scowling in frustration that it was just out of reach.

"You're too _tall_." she said, folding her arms in frustration.

She'd initially tried to sneak the book as a prank, but failed. Now Loki was making a game of it. One that Mazi had enjoyed at first.

"You are welcome to try again later." he said smartly.

"I will." Mazi replied adamently. She backed up a few steps before pivoting and heading over to Lila.

"Height will always be her greatest frustration." Hena said, shaking her head.

"I don't see why, I mean, she's not even that short for her age." Loki replied, gesturing at her.

"But I was around that height then too." Hena said with a smile "She's worried she only has my fate to look forward to."

She was surprised to find that Loki wasn't eminating any strong emotions right now. She couldn't usually tell unless they were powerful, so he must have been fairly docile about Thor's revelation.

"Are you upset?" she asked pointedly.

"Upset?" Loki questioned thoughtfully, really only to buy him time to respond "No. It was rather nice to have him reveal his former arrogant and violent nature to his Midgardian friends."

"But, you're still not happy that he did that to you without known cause." Hena maintained "I've never understood boys very well."

"Don't try." Loki advised.

"Well, one thing you should be happy about is your parents anger when they found out. They did want to defend you." Hena said earnestly.

Loki scoffed slightly.

"Hey, don't do that to me. I know what I'm talking about." Hena sounded indignant.

"I know you do." Loki's eyes now shown amusement "But Odin finding out wasn't out of love. He didn't want Thor and I to hate each other. He needed us to form a bond for when I would become king of Jotunheim."

"That isn't necessarily true. He cared for you."

"No, he did not." Loki responded.

"You told me to tell you when you were sounding ignorant, and you're sounding ignorant!" Hena said sharply, pointing at him.

"Just because I'm stating truth you don't agree with doesn't mean I'm ignorant." Loki said, tilting his head.

"Your truth is false." Hena replied, eyes and mouth open in intense exasperation.

"Fine." Loki said. Her eyebrows went up in surprise suddenly.

"What?"

"You're right and I'm wrong." Loki replied.

"What?" Hena repeated, even more incredulously.

"You are right and I am wrong. Happy?" he asked.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Do not patronize me. Because it is not what you say it is what you think." Hena replied, poking him in the chest and pushing him back. He smiled and shook his head at the ground.

"I can't win."

"When Odin brought you home from Jotunheim, he may have had plans, but you have no idea what he really did for you that day."

Loki waited for her to continue and when she didn't, he motioned for her to.

"He didn't just change the color of your skin. He didn't just make you look Aesir. He shared of himself with you. That action enveloped you into his blood and his family. He _did_ take you out of mercy and love, Loki. And he loves you still. "

"Well, if you are going to try and convince me, at least use the past tense on that." Loki replied.  
"No, I won't." Hena said.

Again, he had to chuckle breathily.

"You are very optimistic and kind, Hena." he said "And somewhat heavy handed on the advocation of others."

Hena blinked, dismayed for half of a second.

"But, it's who are you and it's alright with me." Loki continued. Her eyes lit up brightly, mouth open, although he wasn't looking at her.

* * *

The sun had finally begun its descent in the sky, now that late afternoon had come. It disappeared on and off behind clouds, causing Mazi to go in and out of the house repeatedly. She was currently outside and beside the Warriors. Her focus was on Fandral at the moment.

"You just don't like Adden because he's a rule follower and you're not." Hena was speaking to Loki still.

"No, that's not it." the God of Mischief said with a shake of his head as he stared at her "I get along with plenty of 'rule followers.' But there is a point where it just becomes pathetic. Do you remember that time when we gathered for dinner on Anaheim and one of your cousins tried to sneak out with his silverware?"

Hena grinned "Yes."

"He looked at that child as if he had just gotten someone killed." Loki said, face exasperated.

Then he straightened up, changing his voice to mimic what had to be Adden "'Don't take these okay? These do not belong to you. I will not tell anyone this time, but do not do it again.'" Loki relaxed and allowed his voice returned to normal. Then he scowled "I mean, honestly. I'm very sure your parents wouldn't have minded in the least."

"No, you're right. They wouldn't have." Hena agreed with a shrug "But he is a palace guard. He is expected to do such things."

"Did you see his face while he chastised that child?" Loki asked, eyebrows up expectantly.

"No." Hena replied, smiling "But I saw yours."

He let out an amused breath "Is that why he wanted to duel me?"

" _No_." Hena replied "Adden is very kind usually. Besides, the duel happened months later."

"People of Anaheim have long memories." Loki said pointedly.

"So do Asgardians, particularly for grudges!" Hena responded, hands rising to her hips. Loki's eyes sparkled for a moment, hiding a very mischievous look.

"Well, you _look_ Asgardian, but your other friends are bigger than you, so I wasn't sure." Mazi said, looking up at Fandral. Loki and Hena caught the last sentence of her speech as they looked over.

"Well, I am one hundred percent Asgardian." Fandral responded in good humor "And while my friends rely on their rather _brute_ strength, speed is also a valuable skill."

"Yes, I agree." Mazi told him, nodding "Hena is very fast and I am very fast."

"I would imagine so." Fandral replied definitively.

"Then race me." Mazi said suddenly, chin raised.

Fandral blinked in surprise "Oh, child, whatever for?"

"For fun." Mazi replied. The warrior hesistated a moment before shrugging.

"Alright, let us. You can have a head start if you desire." he said, smiling.

"No, _you_ can." Mazi replied cheekily.

"Where is the finish?" Fandral asked, gazing at the field.

"The trees." Mazi told him, also staring over. She began to walk past the others towards the picnic table, which was sure to be the starting point.

"Are you actually racing a child?" Sif asked Fandral, shaking her head slightly.

"Since when is that wrong?" he asked.

"Since you're actually doing it for pride."

"Certainly not." Fandral said, bringing a hand to his chest "She may win this race. I already know my skill."

Volstagg rolled his eyes, but the slender man went to join Mazi anyway.

"At your word." he told her.

Thor turned at the same time as Loki and Hena. The pair of them both seemed happy as they anticipated something the rest of them didn't.

"I will count to three and say begin." Mazi said, not getting ready to run in the least.

"Alright." Fandral replied with a nod.

"One...two...three...begin!"

The little girl immediately raced forward, overtaking the warrior immediately. Fandral, who had been prepared to run slowly, suddenly had to quicken his pace. His eyes showed shock.

Mazi maintained a lead for several moments until he slowly began to gain on her. But she didn't seem bothered by that. She continued running at the fastest pace she could manage.  
Volstagg leaned to see who was ahead, but from their vantage point it was hard to tell.

"This is what she saves that energy for." Hena said with a laugh.

The two racers reached the treeline a few seconds later. Neither of them appeared to stand triumphant though. Fandral was breathing deeply, saying something to the little girl quickly. Mazi shrugged, also trying to oxyginate her lungs again.

"Someone should have been there to be the judge." Volstagg said, enjoying the frivolity.

"If he fights her for the win, he's even more immature than I thought." Sif replied, though she appeared happy.

Fandral and Mazi began walking back, although she began trotting ahead to get to Hena. Her older sister crouched for her.

"Good job!" she said, eyes bright as she took her hands.

Mazi nodded "We don't know who won. But we are fast. Now I want a drink."

"And some food too." Hena advised "You haven't eaten much today. I can go get it if you like."

"Yes, please. Thank you." Mazi said gratefully. Hena dipped her head slightly before turning to walk back towards the house. The sun had just peeked out while they were running and was still there now. There were clouds all around though, so it wouldn't be long before she could go out again. Loki silently moved about a foot to the left to block it from shining directly on Mazi. She didn't seem to mind that, as she was already hot.

"Good job." Volstagg commented to Fandral.

"Would you have expected her to be that fast?" his friend asked, more out of fascination than annoyance.

"That depends. How hard were you running?" Thor asked with a broad smile.

"As fast as I could have managed without a monster on my tail." Fandral replied "Although, to be fair, I am a little out of practice. I haven't fought in a battle for quite a while and even then it isn't just running flat out across a field."

"So, who actually won then?" Volstagg asked.

"I honestly don't know." Fandral shrugged "It may have been a tie."

"I bet she won and you're not telling her." Sif said stoically, her voice lowered so that Mazi didn't overhear.

"I would never do that." Fandral objected.

"Wouldn't you though?" Sif teased.

"Not with a child." Fandral replied, with a cocky shake of his head. Even though giving him a hard time was enjoyable, they let it go after that.

Mazi laid down in the grass, splayed out in exaggerated exhaustion. Loki said something to her too quiet to hear, but she shook her head in response. Then she sat up, head tilted curiously.

"How long before you could do that?" she asked.

The God of Mischief shrugged "I don't know, it took me a little while. Best start with simpler things for now."

He held out a hand to help her stand back up. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. Then she cupped her hands, blew into them, and released a butterfly. Loki smiled and nodded with raised eyebrows.

"I am getting very good at that." Mazi informed him. She twirled around in a circle, leaving his fading shadow as the sun vanished. Loki watched her before giving a brief glance in the Asgardian's direction. He raised a single eyebrow at Thor, showing he was still peeved with him.

"I am just standing here, Thor. You could come and ambush me. Just a passing thought."

"I apologized." Thor replied "What more do you want me to do?"

"Realize that you actually took a part in all of this." Loki said "But, that would be going to far for your ego."

"Do you even remember how old we were? We were barely out of youth." Thor responded "I was an idiot, yes, but also still young."

"You were that way all up until the past three years." Loki replied pointedly "It wasn't because you were young. Frigga and Odin said the same thing when you nearly started a war with Jotunheim. And yet, suddenly when you returned, you weren't "young" anymore. Trust me, the 'he was just young and irresponsible' excuse would never have worked for me."

"I'm surprised you aren't flaunting that this is because your actions have always been smarter and more precise than mine." Thor said.

"Or because I'm just innately more untrustworthy as a frost giant." Loki replied and then continued so that his brother didn't initiate another arguable subject "Either way, even if there wasn't a whole history of bias, your lack of punishment should surely convince you."

"I was _banished_." Thor growled.

"And had lovely little Mjolnir sent after you." Loki replied "I had nothing of the sort. Redemption was clearly not thought to be possible, so obviously I ought not to bother. Yet another show of favoritism you do not acknowledge."

"If you truly can't see the the difference between what we did, then maybe that's the issue." Thor said.

Loki was obviously going to spit out another retort, but suddenly Mazi reached up to pull on his arm. She'd approached so quietly, some of them hadn't even been aware. Thor leaned back as Loki looked down at her.

"Please don't fight. I don't like it when you fight."

"How would you know? You've never seen us fight." Loki replied honestly, his voice immediately lighter as he spoke with her.

"Yes, I have." Mazi said, nodding "In your memories."

"Oh, you too now, huh?" Loki asked, looking away with a small smile "Don't tell me there are two of you I have to prevent from reading my mind." he paused for a moment, staying silent, before Mazi opened her mouth in surprise at something unseen.

"Hey! That's not fair. You can't do that." she protested.

"Magic." Loki said, waving his hands.

"Hmm." Mazi frowned intensely at him "I want to see your thoughts."

"You're going to be a little mini Hena aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes, but that is good because we like her." Mazi informed him. She turned away with a rather mischievous look. Then, as swiftly as a little girl could manage, she turned back, grabbed his book from his hand, and ran.

"Mazi!" Loki turned and sprinted after her, lips pressed in good natured irritation. She let out a trill of laughter, book hugged to her chest. She had apparently gained back the energy lost from racing Fandral. He was closing in on her, but she was also aware of that, so she changed direction sharply. Loki followed her easily, but it still slowed him a bit. He took much longer strides that the girl, allowing him to gain ground faster.

Mazi turned again with a smile, but then suddenly ran right into Loki. She squealed as he swung her around to a stop, making sure she didn't fall from the momentum. He took his book back with a quick snatch. She stared up at him, mouth hanging as she panted.

"You used magic!" she accused "That's not fair!"

"How is that not fair?" Loki replied, staring at her dubiously "You use magic all the time."

"Yes, but you are much better!" Mazi complained.

Loki chuckled and patted her shoulder to bring her close for a moment "You'll get better too, I promise. You did manage to get the book from me. I'm impressed."

Mazi immediately looked prouder. Then she blinked, as if aware of something they were not.

"Hena is waiting inside." she said, eyes wide with concentration "I will be back out in a little while."

Loki nodded at her and she started sprinting back to the house. Her gait was slightly slower after her run with him, but her energy apparently knew no bounds.

Thor waited until she was farther away before looking back at Loki.

The God of Mischief scowled _"What?_ You're not going to convince me, Thor. Do you and your friends have nothing better to do than _watch_ me? You have guards for that, remember? Right over there. They're very vigilant, don't worry."

Thor sighed in irritation, realizing he really wasn't going to get anything out of his brother at the moment.

"Alright, I don't want to continue the argument, but," that was Volstagg surprisingly, voice adament "I have to say, it really angers me when you say that."

"What, Volstagg?" Loki asked "The fact that I have guards? I'm a prisoner, remember?"

"No. The fact that you constantly say 'HIS friends.' So explicitly." Vosltagg replied.

"Why? You don't like me speaking truth?" Loki's voice was dry as dry could be.

"You do it to provoke us." Volstagg replied.

"There is nothing provocative about that. Facts. Simple facts. Our 'friendship' was conditional upon Thor being there." Loki said.

To their credit, every single one of the Warriors protested. Thor just looked bewildered, mouth open.

"No, it was not." The usually kind Fandral spoke in frustration "It wasn't at all. Why in the nine realms do you think that?"

"Would you have even glanced in my direction if he hadn't been my older brother?" Loki asked a return question.

"Yes. Actually. Yes, I would have." Fandral said. And that may have been true. In fact, it probably was.

"Then why did it evaporate when Thor left?" Loki asked.

Fandral scowled, blinking a few times. He glanced at the others, as if not sure what to say.

"What do you mean?" Volstagg asked for them finally.

"When he was banished and Odin fell into the Odinsleep." Loki replied "All everyone did was beg me to return Thor home. Undo his sentence from the Allfather. All of you. Even my own _mother_." he gave a look at Thor, showing that he clearly resented that "How could I do that when Odin clearly wished that upon Thor? And how could anyone ask me to do so?"

"You were acting king. It was well within your rights." Volstagg almost seemed to mutter "And probably best that you brought him back, not Odin."

"Why?" Loki asked, putting a hand to his chest, eyes narrowing "I _never_ intended for Thor to be banished. Not once. I had nothing to do with his initial explusion."

Thor just looked lost "When we went to Jotunheim-"

"I did everything in my power to stop you from going to Jotunheim. Which, I will admit, there wasn't much I was able to do with you back then." Loki replied.

"You told the guard where we were going." Sif pointed out.

"Oh, I'm so _sorry_ I saved your life, Lady Sif." Loki replied with a mock bow "What an intrusion." he scoffed in cold amusement, not believing he was having this conversation. The he turned his fierce eyes back to them "When I, as king, failed to materialize your hero for you, what did you do? You went to Heimdall. Guardian of the nine realms. My wish was for the Bifrost to remained closed. And yet, all you had to do was approach him once and down to Midgard he sent you. You left Asgard for Thor."

"It was...for a friend." Volstagg said, eyes flicking between him and the ground.

"My point exactly." Loki replied, staring at him. His voice was still soft. There wasn't anger in his eyes as expected. Instead, they almost seemed to show hurt "You betrayed me for Thor."

"That's not how it was meant." Volstagg protested.

"So, good intentions perceived wrong?" Loki asked, eyebrows up "Interesting concept. Perhaps widen your tunnel vision, Volstagg. That happens to others too. Even so, I had done nothing to warrant what you did."

"You allowed Frost Giants onto Asgard." Hogun said, his gruff voice without menace.

"But you didn't know about that then." Loki reminded them "The only reason you had for betraying me at that time was that I was not a legitimate king."

The group fell silent, ruminating his words as the God of Mischief watched.

"To be fair, you had only become king that day." Fandral said "It would have taken many many months for us to get used to you or Thor on the throne. And as for Heimdall. He is smart. He would have sensed you were planning something."

"And what was I planning?" Loki asked.

"To destroy Jotunheim." Fandral said.

"Would any of you have been sad?" the former prince countered "No. Odin was going to wake up to an era of peace. I was never, ever going to return to that damn realm."

"You wouldn't have had to." Sif said.

"Really? You don't know then, do you?" Loki asked, eyes hard "I was meant to be sent home to Jotunheim, Sif. To be their king. Leave everything I had ever known and bring everlasting peace with an unshakable bond between Thor and I. King of Asgard and king of Jotunheim. Brothers united."

"Those plans fell away, Loki." Thor said quietly "Both mother and father told me so."

"So they say." Loki replied with a bitter laugh "I found a new way to bring about that peace, and ensure that the race of frost giants was forever destroyed." he paused and then shook his head briefly "That doesn't seem to matter now, does it? After all, as Odin said, I am beneath all of you now. So let me be."

"I know he said that to you, but he has said things he has never said before to me in the past months." Thor said "He did not take mother's death well."

"Then I guess we do have something in common." Loki replied.

"You should know that there is gaping hole where you once were." Volstagg said angrily.

"Take care not to fall in." Loki replied sarcastically. His gaze flicked to rest on something behind them, eyebrows furrowing. The others didn't notice.

"If you won't believe what we tell you, how can you ever-"

"Mazi, don't touch that." Loki interrupted Volstagg, face intense as he walked forward several paces "Put that down!"

Thor and the Warriors both turned sharply to see. Mazi was standing near the Asgardian barrier, holding the scepter in her hands. It was pulsing rapidly, very similar to what the tesseract had done.

"Mazi, drop it!" Loki yelled, running in her direction. The guards from both realms were also hurrying over.

She didn't appear to hear him. Her body convulsed several times before she collapsed from the movement. The scepter shot a massive blast through the air towards the trees, exploding with a loud crash. Loki skidded to a stop for a partial second before sprinting over to her, followed by the others. Hena appeared in the doorway, eyes wide.

The God of Mischief slid to a stop beside the little girl about the same time the guards made it over. The scepter was still glowing in her grasp and he grabbed it, dropping it away from her as quickly as he could.

Hena was over in a moment, falling to her knees beside her sister. Everyone else inside the house was already out, having heard the earsplitting bang.

"What happened?" Hena demanded.

"Her powers are not as suppressed as you thought." Loki said, staring down at Mazi with fearful eyes, hands hovering a few inches above her. She was unconscious, eyes closed, with her hair partway covering her face. The group had gathered around them, sharing perplexed expressions as they watched.

"She's alive. Nothing seems wrong." Hena said, her voice still scared, but hopeful at the same time. Yet, she still stared at her sister, observing an unseen aura. Loki was silent, eyes flicking back and forth as he thought.

"She touched the scepter?" Hawkeye asked quietly to the others. None of them responded.

"She's alright." Hena repeated, watching Loki anxiously.

"We need to remove that memory." the God of Mischief said, without looking at her.

"What?" Hena asked in horror "We can't do that. Tampering with memory is extremely dangerous, Loki."

"You don't want her to remember that." Loki said.

"We should not do this."

 _"Hena."_ he looked up at her intently "You don't want her to remember that."

The Anaheimien woman blinked back at him, the uneasiness clear, but Loki wasn't going to wait for her permission. He carefully moved one hand under Mazi's head, turning it forward.

Hena placed a hand on him, and it took several of them a moment to realize that she was enhancing his power with her own. Loki put one hand right above the little girl's head, concentrating hard. He slowly began to move his fingers in precise motions, the familiar green glow shimmering dimly as he did so.

The group seemed to hold their breath until he lowered his arm. Hena watched in anticipation and then her eyes turned to relief.

"We should get that away." Loki muttered, speaking of the scepter. Hena glanced over before moving to grab it.

"No." Loki said "Not you."

So, she waited beside Mazi as he got to his feet. Thor watched him carefully, surprisingly wary as his brother picked up the staff that had given him so much power before. But Loki set it back on the stand uneventfully. Although, he always seemed to stare at it for just a heartbeat too long.

"So, what happened?" Captain America asked as the God of Mischief returned to Mazi.

"She picked it up." he replied shortly.

"I didn't know she would be able to magnify power yet." Hena said "Nor to that extent. I don't if I could even do that."

"The scepter in and of itself is a power source." Loki replied to her directly "So if she increased its power, it would likely do the same in return."

"Until she couldn't handle it anymore." Hena concluded grimly "But Mazi isn't generally one to mess with things like that. She'll play games, but she doesn't go around playing with things if she doesn't know they are safe."

"But she's not hurt?" Captain America asked.

Hena shook her head.

"Then let's take her inside." the soldier continued. Loki would have been reluctant to listen to him ordinarily, but he was planning on doing the same thing anyway. He eased his hands under Mazi and lifted her up.

* * *

When she woke up, the little girl didn't appear to be suffering any side effects. She had just as much energy as before and perhaps even more. She was currently playing with the other children upstairs, happy as could be. The adults were still a tad uneasy, but the elephant in the room didn't come up again.

Laura and Hena had given all the children another warning about going near the scepter. The Anaheimien guards were also stationed in front of the scepter now. Mazi had nodded just as earnestly as the other children when the request was made. There wasn't even a hint that she remembered any part of what happened. Techinically, there wasn't a way for Loki to remove a memory without doing serious damage. But he could mask it very well so she wouldn't know the difference. It was difficult for both him and Hena because they couldn't let on that they'd been worried about Mazi. The others were almost always awkward around her anyway, so that didn't matter.

"One, two, three, four." Cooper's voice could be heard up there, counting the spaces on the board game they were playing "Your turn, Lila."

"You skipped my turn." the girl responded with obvious annoyance.

"Then it's Nathaniel's." Cooper corrected.

It was fortunate that the scepter had not been pointing in the direction of the house when it went off, although it hadn't been that far of a distance from Thor and his friends. Contrary to the times it had been used in the past, the blast had exploded in mid-air instead of when it reached a solid force.

A few minutes after Cooper had spoken, there were angry steps going down the stairs.

Nathaniel looked sulky, his arms crossed and eyebrows creased in a scowl.

"Dad." he began "Cooper isn't letting me be the banker in the game."

Hawkeye looked at him with a very passive expression.

"Alright, Nathaniel, you have three times to come down and complain. Is this going to be one of those times?"

Nathaniel waited a moment before turning back away "No." he said grudgingly.

Hawkeye nodded after him without saying anything else. The boy went back up the stairs, taking two at a time to get up them quickly.

"Parenting is not that easy when you're with them day in and day out." Laura said, observing the scene skeptically.

"But it does mean it's easier on you when I'm here, right?" Hawkeye asked smartly.

"I wasn't talking to you. I just wanted to make sure everyone else knows that our kids are not this easy-going normally." Laura replied.

"Cooper, be nice!" that was Mazi from upstairs, sounding shocked and indignant. He immediately shushed her. Laura glanced up.

"I don't think we need to worry about people overestimating the attitudes of our children." Hawkeye responded, shaking his head with his lips pressed together.

"You're very peculiar to want people to see how hard they are, rather than how perfect they are." Hena told her with an impressed look "And more likeable."

"To be honest, it's still partially fueled by selfishness. I want people to know how hard I work keeping them in line." Laura replied, nodding with each word.

Even though the conversation was light-hearted, there was still a somber undertone around the room. Captain America was watching Loki, who was not joining in with Hena as usual, but had one finger over his mouth in a contemplative expression. The God of Mischief's eyes rose to meet his and they locked gazes for a moment. The soldier's face was serious and stoic, while Loki's was hard and almost goading, as if wanting Captain America to say something to him. They remained that way until the mortal took in a breath and looked away. Hena was the only person in the room to pick up on it. More because of the emotion flowing from Captain America. She glanced in between the two of them silently, but the direct tension did not reappear.

 **Longer chapter haha, so if you could spare a moment, please leave me a word below ;)**

 **And, in case you were wondering, that was not the family conflict I was referring to in the other chapter. That is still coming. :)**

 **Please review and thanks for reading!**


	28. Mistrust of the Trusted

**Hello! Please enjoy the chapter!**

Hena was being much more cautious since the incident with the scepter. So, most of the time, if her little sister was outside, her or Loki were also out. Right now, she was inside coloring with Lila on the living room floor. She was surprisingly talented for a child of her age. Then again, Hena was occasionally directing her with where to put certain colors.

Today was the day Odin and Valder were supposed to meet, so Thor was currently outside speaking with the guards and communicating through Heimdall. Hena was watching him, smiling as if thinking of something funny. Tony's board was lit up with several different live camera feeds from his suits flying around.

Mazi took long strokes with her pencils, almost as if with a brush.

"That makes it very smooth, well done." Hena told her as she observed. Her little sister glanced up at her.

"Smooth?"

"You know. It looks very continuous." Hena reiterated.

"But, this is on parchment." Mazi replied.

"Yes, so, it is..." Hena thought for a moment before turning to Loki "What is a comparable word for smooth?"

Loki looked up from his book at her. He waited a moment before responding.

"Legato?" he shrugged slightly.

Hena smiled, eyes lighting up immediately. She shook just a little bit as she contained laughter.

"I mean, I don't know how you can get much more simple than smooth." Loki replied with a hint of uncertainty even with his small smile "Not rough?"

"Oh that's good. But I like how you say legato." Hena said.

"Legato." Loki repeated for her slowly, lifting up his book.

Hena grinned and returned her gaze to Mazi "It does not look rough."

"Good, I am trying to be careful." the little girl said. Hena nodded, stepping back as Lila stood up to walk over to her parents in the kitchen. Captain America watched her for a moment, although he was not focused on that.

"Okay, I am hopeful you will not take what I am about to say the wrong way." Hena said, eyes still on Loki.

He looked up from his book again, tilting his head. He raised one eyebrow.

"Alright." he said evenly.

"It is surprising to think that you and Thor were raised by the same parents and not for the reason you think. There are several things that are generally due to upbringing. Your posture is almost always perfect and his is...not."

The comment made Loki look down at himself, although Hena didn't stop.

"He stomps while you walk very quietly." she said "And you have a very proper and tactful way of speaking. Thor still has that, but it's less prominent."

"Well, we did spend unequal time with different parents." Loki replied.

"I know, but they still reared both of you."

"To be quite honest, Thor spoke more similarly to me when he did not spend as much of his time with mortals." Loki commented.

Sif actually nodded in agreement with that, although not within the view of Loki and Hena.

"My mother says that formal speaking is the first impression people get of you, so it is very important." Mazi said from the floor, without looking at them.

Hena smiled at her briefly "That is correct."

"When are they coming?" Mazi asked, coloring in an outline of a flower very carefully.

"Sometime this afternoon, I believe. I can ask the guards for certain." Hena replied "I'll actually do that right now. When is Odin coming, Loki?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. You can ask Thor, he should know." Loki replied, pointing at his brother heading back towards the house.

"Alright, I will do so." Hena said, turning. She left the house, first walking towards Thor before her trip to the guards.

Mazi looked up at Loki with a vaguely suspicious expression, but he didn't notice because he was looking after Hena.

"It will be interesting to see what Valder and Odin come to an agreement on." Fandral said to the general people in the room.

"I don't think they have anything to disagree on. Would they?" Captain America said slowly, looking at him questioningly.

"No, but they have fairly different personalities. They may want to go about things in different ways." Fandral replied with a shrug.

Loki listened to the conversation silently, keeping his eyes on the little girl in front of him.

Thor stepped into the house with a deep breath, walking over to the Warriors. Mazi looked up at Loki again, her face mischievous.

"Are you going to marry Hena?" she asked.

Loki's gaze flicked down to her, his eyebrows going up amusement. Thor heard, but, unlike the Warriors, he didn't glance over. He just waited for a response.

"Why, would you like me too?" Loki asked, leaning towards her slightly. Those words broke an awkward tension in the room.

"Yes. Yes, that would be nice." Mazi replied "Then you would be my real older brother. My father also said that would be nice, because then you would be able to play with me more often."

"Well, that is true." Loki replied, the side of his mouth curving up.

"But you never came back when you left. You said you were going to, but then you didn't." Mazi said, her voice sad.

"Yes, I know I didn't. I'm sorry about that." Loki responded with a genuine apology that wasn't filtered out.

"It's okay. But when you propose to Hena, you have to use me because Hena and I are best friends."

Loki paused as he thought and then nodded with a contemplative expression "Alright, I think I could manage that."

"Anyone that Hena likes has to go through me. And they must pass my evaluation." Mazi replied importantly.

"Ah, I see." Loki said, raising his chin "Do I qualify?"

"Mhm." Mazi nodded.

"That's a relief." then Loki smiled and looked back down at his book "Does Adden?"

Mazi paused, looking down as if she was ashamed "Well, Adden is nice, but he is not very fun most days. You are fun and Hena is fun, but Adden is very serious."

Loki nodded in understanding "Yes, he is."

"I also really like him because he is kind. But he doesn't let me do things that I like to do."

"Such as?"

"Things like running in the palace halls." Mazi replied "But my mom even let's me do that sometimes. I tell him that, but he is very bad at listening to children."

Loki smirked a bit, holding back a laugh.

"Shame on him." he said instead.

"Yes, very shameful." Mazi said. Her eyes brightened as Hena came walking back up the porch. She scurried over to greet her.

"When are they coming?" she demanded.

"This afternoon." Hena replied, her expression very distracted. Mazi clapped and then ducked past her to go outside.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, eyebrows up as he sensed something was not quite right.

"Guess who's out there?" Hena asked, eyes incredulous.

He frowned, eyebrows furrowing "Um, well, Mazi and guards. Frost giants perhaps? Hopefully you didn't just leave them out there to be discovered by someone else. I don't know. Tell me."

"You were correct when you said guards." Hena peered out the window "Adden is out there. My father sent Adden."

Loki leaned to follow her gaze out the window with a small smile. How convenient that him and Mazi should be talking of him. He looked back at her, far more amused than she felt.

"It is not funny, why would he send him here?" Hena said, sounding dismayed.

"I don't know, ask him." Loki replied. He gestured out the window "Better still, go ask Adden."

"No. That would be unkind." Hena said "But I have not gone out and greeted them as I should yet. I interrupted my father to ask when they were coming instead of asking Adden. He is going to get an earful when he arrives. I have been subtly avoiding Adden for the past year and now he's thrown right into my pathway. My father is not this ignorant. There is most certainly a reason behind it."

"I do imagine so." Loki replied with a laughing breath. Hena folded her arms.

"There are three of them this time instead of two which makes it even more suspicious."

"Hena!" Mazi appeared in the doorway again, hopping up and down a few times. Her sister turned to her with exaggerated eagerness to match.

"What?"

"Adden, Samor and Lady Koreina are here!" Mazi replied with wide eyes "At the same time!"

"Oh my!" Hena said, actually impressed herself. She glanced at Loki thoughtfully "You are familiar with every one of them. We could go and greet them together."

The God of Mischief pursed his lips and took in a deep breath "Might we just wave?"

Thor scoffed quietly in amusement, knowing all too well of these moments with his brother.

"No." Hena said, smiling "I definitely have to go out to them and they all know and like you."

"Adden? Me?" Loki asked, eyebrow up in disbelief "You are making a jest, correct?"

"He has every reason in the world to like you now." Hena replied honestly, hands resting at her waist "Please?"

Loki shook his head "No, thank you."

"You have to come with me." she reached to pull on his arm "Do not be quiet and reserved Loki. I need you to be self-assured and enthusiastic Loki."

"No, quiet and reserved Loki is fully present right now." he pulled back with a scowl, not allowing her to take him with her. Hena let go with a deep breath.

"It's been a long time since you've spoken to Koreina. That should be appealing."

Loki's scowl lifted as his eyes flicked back and forth "What, are you trying to tempt me? I don't even remember that name."

"You did meet her." Hena replied "You don't recall that?"

"No."

Hena's mouth curved up "Well, that's alright. I wouldn't worry about it."

With that, she left to return back outside again. Mazi stepped further into the house to allow her sister through. Then she walked over to Loki quizzically.

"You do remember her, don't you?" she asked, her voice accusatory and mischievous.

"Yes, of course I do." Loki replied with a knowing glance down at the intuitive little girl "But it may not have served me well to say so."

Fandral blinked, bringing his head back in surprise as Thor and him shared a glance.

Mazi opened her mouth at him "You lied right through your teeth!" Her eyes gleamed "Teach me."

Loki laughed once, reaching to pinch the bridge of his nose "Your mother is going to hate me."

"I won't tell her. I promise." Mazi said, licking her hand and holding it up. Loki stared, surprised by this uncharacteristic ritual.

"What is that for?" he asked.

"Cooper showed me. It means a really really strong promise." Mazi replied.

Hawkeye bobbed his eyebrows, glancing away pointedly. The mortals would understand and may even think it was funny, but the Asgardians were not familiar with anything of the sort.

"I see." Loki said, without looking over at the others "I am fairly certain you won't need to keep anything from her. She already knows."

"Then, you can teach me." Mazi repeated.

He smiled and his gaze went to the ground as he held back another laugh.

"Hey." she folded her arms at him indignantly "You are not listening."

"I am listening." Loki corrected her.

"But you're not answering how I want." Mazi replied pointedly, tilting her head forward at him.

"Yes, that happens sometimes." he told her.

Now, the little girl scowled "That's not very kind."

"Well, it's not very rude either." Loki said, eyebrows up as he smiled "Do as I say, not as I do."

"No." Mazi unfolded her arms and put them on her hips "No, because that is holding me to a higher standard than you hold yourself. And that is not okay."

Loki paused, both impressed, surprised, and amused as he stared at her.

"You are far too young to be so quick-thinking. I really can't outsmart you, can I?" he asked finally.

"Nope. You cannot tell me one thing and then do another. My father knows that." Mazi replied proudly, earning a smile from several others "What if I followed you around and did everything you did?"

"Then you would be in very big trouble." Loki informed her. Then he shrugged "Although, if you were to pick a random day from my life, you'd most likely find me standing around reading."

"That sounds nice. My mother would like that." Mazi replied thoughtfully.

"Oh, and insulting Thor." Loki added "That is usually present now."

Mazi looked right over at the God of Thunder, eyes wide. He rolled his eyes.

"Likely just trying to break even with all the times he did it to me when we were younger." Loki said.

"I never had a chance to insult you." Thor replied, knowing that wasn't true "You were always reading."

"Well, at least, I don't fall in love with things in my books because I know they're not...real." Loki said slowly, the hidden meaning becoming clear.

Thor let out a deep breath as his brother brought up his longest standing trick. Elainya. However, he didn't say anything, keeping his face neutral.

"Oh, my, look at that patience and self-control." Loki said, examining him in fascination "It's not nearly as fun when you don't react."

"It won't be fun in a moment if you keep talking." Thor warned.

"Hm." Loki nodded upward "Better. It's misleading to portray yourself with such a calm personality."

Sif narrowed her eyes at him, but became uncomfortable when the God of Mischief drew pointed attention to that. He stared her down for a bit of spiteful entertainment, wanting Thor to notice her silent defense of him. She looked away just as the older son glanced in her direction. Loki smirked a little bit, but didn't attempt to unsettle her anymore.

"I've changed." Thor said, repeating what he had said during their fight before Loki had fallen from the Bifrost. Or, let himself fall. The God of Thunder still shunned away from the memory.

"Partly. No one changes their entire temperament. No matter what that woman said or did." Loki replied.

"Seems unkind to tell me _everything_ about myself needed to be changed." Thor challenged.

"Oh, well, perhaps I shouldn't dare, _Prince_ Thor." Loki responded.

"I'm not going to oversee your speech. _Prince_ Loki." Thor said.

"Ah, a quick retort. A remarkable feat from you." Loki looked at him with narrowed, humored eyes "Don't call me that when the Allfather comes. You ought not to displease him."

"Your title was never withdrawn." Thor pointed out.

"I don't think you understand what doesn't need to be said during a sentencing." the contempt was completely unmasked.

"I wouldn't really know. It was private. And Odin did not divulge any details." Thor replied "He never declared anything publically either, just so you are aware. About your sentencing or the reasons for your sentencing."

Loki looked up, as if thinking deeply "Hmm. My reputation or his. My reputation or his. I couldn't possibly imagine which one it could be."

"I know you know he is not that selfish." Thor responded sternly.

"As you pointed out, you were not there to see the edict, so you truly have no idea." Loki said. He waved his hand toward the door, eyebrows up "But, please, have Hena show you the memory. Her powers are convenient in times like these."

"When?" Hena asked from the porch.

"When trying to prove a point." Loki responded to the woman not in view. She stepped in, obviously curious.

"I suppose that is true." she replied.

The familiar light and crash of the Bifrost caused her to turned around to look. Her eyes widened.

"Oh, it's him, it's him." she said, gently hitting Loki to get his attention. He glanced at her the same time as Thor and then leaned to follow her gaze. Odin was indeed standing in the field, already being approached by both of the Asgardian soldiers.

"That is correct." he replied, sounding uninterested.

"Alright, I am going out." Hena said "Are you coming out?"

"No, thank you." Loki replied. Volstagg's eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you being serious?" Hena asked, her voice suggesting she didn't believe him.

"Yes."

"You're not going to be there the first time I meet him?" Hena asked, her mouth open.

"I'd rather not." Loki responded.

"Please?"

"If you need saving, I will come out then."

"Oh my, I won't need saving." Hena said with a scolding tone in her voice. She shook her hand at him before turning to walk out the door. Loki kept one eye on her as she left. Once she was out, he turned towards the window to continue watching her.

Thor grinned ever so slightly. He followed her footsteps, but stopped beside Loki for a moment.

"Do you want me to watch and report?" he asked quietly.

Loki narrowed his eyes at him immediately and Thor quietly laughed once before heading outside. The God of Mischief ignored the rest of the Warriors as they followed him. Captain America still stood in the kitchen, unlike the other members of the Avengers team. Everyone else was up and close to the door.

* * *

Odin looked out at the house as a woman came out and then Thor and the Warriors. He began to walk forward, but was intercepted by a little girl running up to him excitedly.

"Hi!" Mazi said, staring at him with bright eyes.

"Hello." Odin replied with a nod.

"Are you Loki's dad?" she asked, tilting her head.

He blinked at her, surprised that she should say Loki rather than Thor. It took him a moment to respond.

"Yes." he said, with a nod down at her.

Thor watched, sighing internally that Loki wasn't out to hear him say that.

"And, who are you, young lady?" Odin asked, still looking at Mazi. Her clothes were nothing like Midgardian clothing, so it was safe to assume she wasn't from there.

"My name is Mazi. I am from Anaheim." she informed him happily.

Odin nodded again, gaze rising as Hena approached him.

Loki had slipped out of the house, but remained on the porch as he watched the two interact. Hena dipped her head down at the king respectfully, following Anaheim's tradition, and Odin inclined his as well.

"I'm Hena Anaheim." she said, smiling.

Odin appeared surprised for a moment "Daughter of Valder and Svleiva." he realized, nodding "Are you here to represent your realm?"

"At this time, yes, but my parents will come here today." Hena replied. She put a hand on the little girl's shoulder "Mazi is my little sister."

Her little sister's eyes widened at the mention of her name and then she turned around and ran towards the house. Loki walked down the steps for her and she hopped up into his arms.

"I can communicate with my father from here, so I will let you know when they are coming." Hena said as Thor arrived beside them. Odin nodded at him and then Hena, so she also turned and walked over to Loki. The king stared at them, eyebrows furrowing, as Mazi climbed up onto his shoulders and then stood up, balancing precariously. She said something with obvious bravado, smiling.

"Have each of the realms been prepared for attack?" Thor asked, peering at him as if wondering if he was listening.

Hena said something to Loki, making him smile. He shrugged and she shook another finger at him. Mazi reached down and said something, so Loki lifted up his hands to help her down.

"Yes." Odin replied, now breaking Thor from watching them "But they have been ordered to keep it subtle as those who have armies ready them."

Thor just nodded this time because after a split second, his father spoke again.

"How long has Hena been here?" he asked, not knowing that this question was going to bring on a larger explanation.

"She came several days ago. And she's been helpful speaking with her parents." Thor replied "As well as many other things. One being that she is able to get Loki to speak more openly about a few more things. It's been useful."

Odin looked over at him, now demanding that more be said. Thor held out a hand towards the woods, very ready to tell him the whole story.

* * *

"How long was he there?" the King of Asgard asked, still gazing back after the direction of the house, even though it wasn't very visible from where they were. He was referring to Loki.

"Around 7 months." Thor said, trying very hard to read the emotion on his father's face. But Odin wasn't showing much.

"Are you surprised Valder didn't say anything to you?" Thor asked. If they'd known each other in the past, it seemed only natural that the kings would be courteous enough to let one another know about such things.

"No." Odin replied calmly "Valder and I have not spoken in a long time. We had an agreement not to interfere with each other unless it was dire."

"Why?" Thor asked, curious and confused at the same time.

"Asgard quarreled with them before Valder's rule. The crown was from Svleiva's family and her parents did not have a favorable view of Asgard. Her and Valder have since let go of the grudges, but we don't collaborate as we used to and Heimdall does not look to Anaheim." Odin turned back to him "Now, that is not to say that they shouldn't have sent word that my son was there for seven months. And warn me that someone who betrayed Asgard was still alive and roaming the universe. I doubt they had ill-will behind it, after all, Loki was far old enough to lead his own life. But things could have been different if he had not gone to the dark beings."

"Hena said that Loki was not always the author of his actions." Thor replied.

Odin fell silent after that, eyes narrowed as he stared out at the trees. Thor waited, wondering what he was contemplating.

"Father?" he prompted.

Odin's head turned to him slightly, still quiet.

"What are your thoughts on that?" Thor asked finally. The father and son were close, but the king still held emotional reservations. His complete openness had only been for Frigga and it had been retracted some for others when she died.

Either way, Odin, drew in a deep breath, extending the wait.

"I can't confirm it for myself, but several of the things he did speak to that. It is what I suspected. And I am unsure whether that news should be welcomed or shunned."

The God of Thunder tilted his head, surprised. He would have questioned further into the matter, but Odin spoke again.

"What do you know of their daughter Hena?"

Thor slowly set his hammer on the ground "From what I have seen, she is very kind. She is skilled in magic, but slightly different than the way Loki practices."

"Their family is magical through and through. Genetic, not taught." Odin said. He looked at his son again, searching for more than that.

* * *

"Alright, now, focus a little bit more on the cube underneath it, not too much on the sphere you see." Loki said, guiding Hena's arm up gently.

"You mean try to sense that it's still there?" the woman asked, eyes squinted in concentration.

"Correct." Loki replied "Or you'll start to lose the image."

"I see." Hena said. She was staring at a silver sphere that was sitting on the picnic table. It was really a cube, but she was maintaining an illusion over it.

"Good. Good." Loki said, nodding slowly.

They could see Thor and Odin returning from a long way off because the trees were staggered around them. Loki didn't look in their direction, but Mazi waved over excitedly.

"Hena is learning how to make illusions." she called to them.

"Yes, learning." Hena said, her voice strained "I don't think I will ever be able to make a full illusion of myself. Or anything else for that matter."

"You'll be able to, but I will help you until you can." Loki replied.

Odin and Thor continued by, although they were entirely aware of Hena and others next to him.

All of the Warriors were waiting for them closer to the house and that was where the king stopped. Everyone but Banner and Laura had come out to see if Odin would have any immediate words to say. He was giving a long look back at Loki, but it wasn't obvious if he was concerned about the God of Mischief's very relaxed boundaries or something else.

Hena was still holding the illusion steady, although Mazi's excitement seemed to be distracting her. Then, she let it fall entirely and lowered her arm.

"You are very talented." her little sister told her, repeating what Loki had told her several times.

"Thank you." Hena replied. She took the comment seriously, even though her sister was so young "But I could definitely be doing better. I don't know how you taught yourself any of this."

"Not all of it." Loki corrected "And I started with it a lot younger. Besides, you should be happy. You have a magical skill that can never be taught."

"Well." Hena smiled "That is true. Although, there are certainly ways you could read minds for a short time."

Many yards away, there were indeed three Anaheimien guards watching over them. The tallest one, presumably Adden, kept a clear eye on the princess'. Thor had been surprised to see that Adden was even larger than him, although Hena had informed that he did not possess the raw Asgardian strength, let alone the strength that the royal Odin family held.

Mazi ran in his direction and then leaped to slide on the ice. She went several feet before twirling around several times.

"Careful." Hena said it right before the little girl slipped onto her knees. Her older sister winced, but Mazi just carefully stood back up. She looked up at Hena, a bit uneasily, before continuing when she saw that her sister was only concerned, not angry. She ran and raised a foot so she was only gliding on one. Luckily, that didn't cause her to fall like before, but that must have been on her mind because she hopped off a moment later.

"We need more ice on Anaheim." she said, even as she rubbed her arms.

"You do realize that ice is really cold, right?" Hena asked.

"Yes, but Anaheim is warm. We could have both." Mazi argued "Frost giant ice doesn't melt fast."

"You are correct on that." Hena admitted "But I don't think you would like having ice all around. You get cold very easily." she gestured at the little girl, who was beginning to shake from touching the ice. Then her brow creased thoughtfully and she turned to Loki "I have never thought about that. Do you ever get hot? Uncomfortably hot in the sun or warmth? I've never asked you. I feel very selfish. "

Loki shook his head "No. Asgard was nearly always warm. Anaheim isn't much different in that regard."

"Well, I'm glad." Hena said with relief "Seems silly that I didn't think of it before. You never would have told me if you were hot anyway."

"Probably not."

"Oh, Loki...please don't suffer in silence. Ever." Hena put a hand on her forehead anxiously "Always tell me when you don't like something. I can't stand the guilt when I find out later."

"Don't feel guilty. I'm sure I'll survive whatever it is I don't like." Loki replied in amusement.

"No! Not alright. I can't stand it. And I won't." Hena said, shaking her head "Ah! You always have to tell me." she turned away with a deep breath as if already feeling guilty for something she hadn't done. She looked back at Mazi with a sigh "I'm going to go get her shawl."

Loki watched with a hint of surprise, yet still laughter, in his eyes as she left. Mazi was shivering as she stared. She reached up to take Loki's hand as she stepped closer.

"Oh my goodness, Mazi." he said, looking down at her with wide eyes "Your hands are very cold."

"I know, they hurt." she said.

Loki took both her hands and carefully rubbed them between his, trying to get some blood back into them. Mazi huddled in next to him. It wasn't cold out today, but the ice seemed to have gotten to her.

"You are always warm." she said to Loki "Even when it is cold, you are warm."

"Well, I'm glad." he responded.

Thor opened his mouth to call Loki over to their conversation, but stopped when Mazi stepped back from him.

"I am going to move around now." she said. She lifted up her hand to inspect it suddenly, head tilted a bit to the side.

1"Oh, you are bleeding." Loki said in realization. Mazi looked up from where a thin cut seeped just a little bit of blood in between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Yes, it happened on the ice." she said, obviously distracted by the small injury.

"Here." Loki lowered himself down to her height and took her hand again. Carefully, he turned it to the side so that the cut was exposed and let his hand hover above.

"One." he waved his finger lightly across it "Two. Three."

Mazi watched in amazement as the scratch closed, leaving no trace of it behind.

"There." Loki partially smiled at her.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Mazi exclaimed.

"Well, if you were stabbed it might have been a little harder, but things like that I can take care of pretty quickly." Loki said.

"I want to learn that too." Mazi checked. He nodded in return.

As they watched, Thor suddenly realized he hadn't looked at Loki's burn from Red Skull in a while. The blue had mostly faded from his skin, but a lightly red scar remained. Asgardians didn't usually scar from wounds so small. Deep and large wounds would leave a mark behind, but not something like this. Loki hadn't scarred anymore than any other Aesir as a child. It wasn't very noticeable and that made Thor fully aware that there could be other scars he hadn't seen when they first reunited.

"I am going to the trees." Mazi turned around, now fully healed.

"Don't go beyond them." Loki said.

"I won't." she promised "But you need to watch for things anyway."

Loki's eyebrows rose and then fell "Alright. Just scream if something is coming to get you and I can come running."

Mazi nodded affirmatively in his direction, walking closer to the treeline where Red Skull and Loki had fought.

"But don't scream unless you actually need help because then I probably won't come when something actually does happen." Loki said after her with a hint of amusment.

Thor took the chance to call over to his brother. He doubted Loki would join in their discussion, particularly with Odin there, but the hidden frost giant should be there when they made decisions regarding future actions.

The God of Mischief looked back at Mazi for a moment before heading in their direction. He looked a bit reluctant and just as Thor predicted, he stayed about a foot out from his allotted space in the group.

"Loki, you have to make sure no bad people are coming." Mazi said over to him, obviously worried he was shirking his duty. She was waiting expectantly.

"I will watch your back, don't worry." Loki replied. He was partially turned towards her to do just that. Apparently satisfied, the little girl finally began to play.

Hena was just returning as Odin began to speak. She held up the coat to Mazi, but her little sister wasn't watching her now. So she turned to the group to listen. She stood by Loki, although her face was much more attentive.

"Heimdall hasn't seen any foreign beings entering Asgard, but, in reality, others have not either." the Odin said, answering a question from Volstagg "If it were just Midgard, I don't know how much confidence I would have in it. But since it is Anaheim as well, there is cause to be concerned."

Tony blinked at him, his face leaning down as if he couldn't possibly believe that the subject of 'inferior' technology was being brought up again. Hawkeye glanced in his direction, hiding a smile.

"Anaheim has relatively open access to light beings, so we have a way to monitor who comes in and out." Hena said, speaking up without hesitation "Asgard only allows in people through the Bifrost, which my saying is not meant to offend anyone. Because of that, you may have a harder time knowing who is coming and going. You don't have a strictly magical barrier. At least, as far as I know."

"While that is true, we do rely on magic for many of our defenses. It has been sufficient for a long time and I suspect it may be still." Odin replied "Portals opening without a direct energy source is not common, nor easy. As this is not an ordinary enemy, I would not expect their tactics to be ordinary either. Unfortunately, no realm is prepared for something nearly thought to be impossible."

Hena simply nodded in agreement. Without her parents here, she had equal representation with Odin, but she still respectfully listened nevertheless. After all, he'd ruled for a very long time now and she had not at all.

"And, as Asgard does not allow people but through the Bifrost, that could explain why we have not felt any disturbances. But, that may not be the case at all either." Odin continued.

"That is a fair point." Hena replied. She caught Mazi looking over and held up the coat with a beckon.

"It wouldn't explain the reason we are not able to see 'them.'" Thor pointed out.

"That is also true." Odin responded "I am curious to hear Valder's potential explanation."

"He will likely have one now. He doesn't settle on anything he doesn't understand." Hena said.

"I remember." Odin replied with a small dip of his head "I find sorcery would be the best fit."

It was then that Mazi came running towards them, likely to grab her wrap from Hena.

"Watch out! Coming through!" she howled, causing both Odin and Captain America to step back as she ran past.

"Mazi!" Hena hissed sharply after her, one fist swinging down to her side in frustration. The little girl turned back, stopping dead as she stared at her sister nervously.

"She's alright." Odin said calmly, turning back to Thor and the Warriors.

Hena continued looking at her sister for a moment, shaking her head slightly. Mazi beckoned her over with a wave of one hand and Hena sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'll be back. Once again." she said to the others.

Odin looked over with partially narrowed eyes. They weren't cold, but very contemplative. He watched as Hena left and waited until she was far out of earshot before he spoke.

"She's been cursed."

Thor immediately looked at his father, shocked at those words. The others followed suit, but they stayed silent. Then the older son of Odin looked at Loki.

His younger brother didn't say anything for several moments, but it was obvious that Odin was speaking to him and waiting for an answer.

"No." he said finally, his voice flat "Her mother was. But the curse moves on to each person in their family when they are born."

Odin's eyes moved to him, even though Loki wasn't facing his direction. It was suddenly made clear why Hena and Mazi were both so small and fragile. Their diet didn't have anything to do with it. Svleiva was slight, but not in the way that her daughters were.

"Does it still reside in the younger one?" Odin asked.

"No." Loki said again, letting out an almost inaudible bitter breath at speaking to the king "Valder found a way to remove it."

"At great personal cost, I assume." Odin deduced.

"Yes." Loki kept his answers short. Captain America shared a look with Banner, who was the closest to him.

"That is why they only bore two children." Asgard's king continued.

"Then there must be a reason you only ever had one son, right, Allfather?" Loki asked, looking at him coldly "Don't suddenly decide to be concerned with Anaheim. They've done very well without you."

Thor scowled at him. Having just heard a brief lesson on the history of the two realms, he found it very hard not to chastise his brother. Then he realized from the way Loki worded his sentence, he could very well be aware of the existing animosity.

"Valder and I may not associate ordinarily, but you know nothing of the pacts made between our realms." Odin replied, giving him a stern look without acknowledging the invitation to argue.

"They didn't seem to have a need for Asgard's help, now did they?" Loki queried.

"Did not need or did not request?" Odin asked pointedly, ending his sentence an emphasis on the last word.

"Obviously both." Loki replied, eyebrows up as if ready to argue his point further "Valder took care of his own family. That's what he does."

"You seem to be very familiar with him. Perhaps that is not something you should display quite as proudly. Considering the circumstances in which you met him." Odin said, seriously.

"Then don't ask me to explain anything about their children." Loki replied, leaning forward briefly, eyes cold. He took a few steps back, gaze still on his adopted father, before turning all of the way to leave.

"Loki." Odin said, his tone commanding.

The God of Mischief slowed, more out of habit than desire. He didn't turn back to face the king, but spoke from there.

"If you're so concerned about protecting your precious realms, I suggest you speak to Hena about when her parents are arriving. Not me. And, although you're blatantly unobservant, she did go this way. I don't think I need to guide you any further, do I?"

Clearly not caring about any further objection, he continued on his way. Odin watched him with a grave expression.

"How are you aware that she was cursed?" Thor asked him, eyes wandering between the two family members.

"That is something you will learn how to sense in time. They have a different aspect to their persona." Odin replied "Despite Loki's reluctance, that is good knowledge for me to have before I meet with Anaheim's leaders." he nodded towards the house "Follow him. He is correct in saying that Hena's involvement will be important."

Thor didn't understand what he meant by that particularly. Perhaps the fact that Anaheim and Asgard had not always been on good terms was encouraging him to seek out a better relationship with their future queen. Odin waited a moment, allowing Hawkeye to lead the way back up to his home. Him and Thor fell in step behind the mortal.

* * *

Hena had confirmed that her parents were coming within the hour. Both Valder and Svleiva were wary of leaving the realm as the unseeable invasions had increased the past few days. But there still had not been any attacks. And, even though everyone doubted the technology's ability to detect these, it helped validate what was happening on both Midgard and Anaheim.

Mazi was currently drinking more lemonade, each cup a bit sweeter than the last. She wasn't shy, but when it came to asking for more of it, she seemed to want Hena by her side.

Her older sister looked outside, both anticipating her parent's arrival as well as watching the guards. She'd relayed Valder's words to Odin, making several of them wish for the simplicity of her way of contacting someone.

Mazi had her cup filled up one more time and she carried it out to the living room carefully. Copper had invited her to a game of hide and seek, although he'd had to explain the rules for her.

"More already?" Hena asked her sister as she approached them.

The little girl nodded earnestly "I love it. Did you try it?"

"I tried a bit. I would probably drink water instead, but I'm glad you like it."

Now Mazi shifted her attention to Loki "Have you tried it?"

He shook his head "No, but that's alright."

"No, try it."

Loki gave another shake of his head, but with less conviction this time.

"Please?" Mazi asked, unhappy with his response.

"I'd rather not." Loki replied, eyebrows furrowed in an uncertain scowl.

"Please, please, please, please?" Mazi begged, holding the cup up to him.

"Oh alright." Loki finally accepted the glass from her. He took one quick sip before returning it to her grasp.

"Good?" Mazi asked eagerly.

He nodded once at her and she took that as a positive response by the look on her face. Her good mood maintained, she spun around to join the three other children by the door.

Loki turned away, his face immediately clenching in disgust. Hena smiled widely at him.

"Obviously not as enjoyable as you indicated."

"Why are you both of you always trying to get me to eat ridiculous things?" Loki asked testily as he rubbed his lips together.

"We aren't. We are just sharing joy." Hena replied lightly. She watched Mazi leave, unsure whether or not one of them should follow her. But all of the kids stopped right at the bottom of the porch.

Cooper started giving instructions for their game, allowing Hena to relax slightly. It appeared that he was going to be the seeker first as he walked around the side of the house, counting loudly under his breath. That would keep Mazi distracted.

"They're taking her back with them to Anaheim today." Hena said. It was said in Loki's direction, but loud enough for the others to overhear.

The God of Mischief glanced over at her "I don't need to ask why, do I?"

"Well, it is partially because of that, but if Asgard and Anaheim collaborate to take action, they want her to be home." Hena replied, which diverted Odin's gaze over to them.

Loki nodded at her, head tilting up as he looked back away.

"And you know my mother," Hena continued, with a shrug "She is most assuredly a _mother_."

"I do know." Loki said, eyebrows going up even as he faced forward.

At the tone of his voice, Hena let her eyes trail over to scan his face for a hidden meaning "Based on the way you said that, me and my father were correct." she asked.

"Concerning what?" Loki asked a return question.

"You and my mother are going to have a grand altercation someday." Hena's eyes shone as she grinned. Loki looked briefly surprised, but he didn't deny it.

"Elaborate, please." he said.

"I'm not sure there is much more to say. The two of you are both very headstrong, but it's not always prominent. My father has always said that those who are the quietest have the most time to think." Hena replied "Every single time we could sense contention growing between you two, we were ready for a dispute, but neither of you ever acted on it."

"A dispute over what?" Loki asked, wanting a more specific answer as his amusement grew.

"Just a _dispute_." Hena replied in exasperation "For pride. I warn you, Loki, you may need to let her in on your thoughts. She doesn't appreciate secrecy."

At that, a small smirk appeared on his face, signifying that there was no way that was going to occur.

"I'm serious." Hena said, staring him down "Listen, you can be as sarcastic and witty and stubborn as you want. She will not let that pass. She can be extremely fierce at times. And she will win at any argument." then she backtracked, rethinking her words "But you should not be scared of her either. You should love her. She is one of the kindest people I know."

Loki made no comment on that for a moment, but his face showed that he was fully entertained.

"You do realize we've never even come close to an argument?" he said.

"I know and I don't actually know if it would harm your relationship if you did." Hena laughed under her breath "You're both strong-willed under the skin. With very clever tongues. But it still makes me wary. Please don't seek out confrontation with her now just because I said this."

The edge of Loki's mouth curved up. Now that it was off limits, the likelihood had undoubtedly increased.

"Please?" Hena asked intently. She waited a moment expectantly as he came up with a response. Instead, Loki lowered himself in a deep bow to her, sweeping a hand in front respectfully. She smiled and briefly shook her head as she turned away. She sighed.

"I need to go find Mazi. Have her play closer to the house. Preferably inside."

"I can do that." Loki said, stepping a bit closer to the door "I believe I saw where she went."

"Oh no, don't do that for me." Hena said in dismay. Then she turned all the way after him "But, if you do, then will you tell her that our mother and father will be here fairly soon?"

Loki glanced back at her, eyes full of amusement as he continued on his way. Volstagg did manage to suppress his laugh at her words, but she caught it and looked over. She shrugged in good humor, not embarrassed in the least.

* * *

It had been a good fifteen minutes since Cooper had started looking for Mazi. They'd already played several rounds since coming inside and it was already back around to the older boy. He was upstairs now, searching in cupboards, drawers, under beds, but the little girl had hidden well.

Lila and Nathaniel were waiting by Hawkeye, rather bored from following Cooper around. They'd helped for a bit, but become disinterested very quickly.

While they waited, Odin and Thor brought the guards in for reports as well as to brief them. The king had also spoken to the soldiers from Anaheim, namely Adden. Hena had listened rather than interfered, likely because a particular man was only a few feet away. Surprisingly, Loki didn't appear the least bit uncomfortable. He was back to reading his book, standing nearby.

Cooper called for Mazi a few times, telling her to make a sound. When she did, it sounded like she was downstairs, so he came trotting down. He scowled, as he had already looked every place he could think of here.

"Alright, Mazi, I can't find you. You should come out now." he said, looking all around to make sure he saw where she came from.

It was then that Loki gave a very small wave of his hand, eyes never leaving his book. Mazi appeared in the corner of the kitchen, the image of the empty room fading away. Cooper stared in disbelief as she stood up from her huddled position, eyes lit with laughter.

"What?" he demanded. He turned to Loki indignantly, although he was still unsure if it was him or not. He also looked at Hena, but she shook her head.

"That's cheating!" he said, now focusing on Loki.

The God of Mishief raised his eyebrows "There were no rules against it. You should have specified."

"Are you kidding? I didn't know!" Cooper replied, mouth open. He was too young to sense that the God of Mischief was partly being sarcastic.

"Well, I'm not _kidding_." Loki said, emphasizing the last word as it was phrased differently than Asgardians would have done.

"Why didn't you do that for me when I was hiding?" Cooper asked, now getting a little belligerent.

"You didn't ask me to." Loki replied

"Well, I am now." Cooper said firmly as he stared at the God expectantly.

"No, it won't work now. The secret's out. A trick only works the first time." Loki responded "Unless you're doing it to Thor. Then it works multiple times."

His older brother looked over slightly at the sound of his name, frowning because he didn't hear the context. He'd been talking, so Odin was the one who heard.

"Okay, well, I'm hiding this time." Cooper declared, turning to the other children "Who wants to be 'it'?"

"I don't wanna play anymore. I don't really like hide and seek that much." Lila said with a shrug. Nathaniel looked at her, then his older brother, unsure if it was okay to agree.

"We could play later." he ventured.

Cooper rolled his eyes a bit at them, but silently consented as he walked away. Mazi just went over to Loki and Hena. She still had a big smile on her face, which was rewarded with a small laugh from the God of Mischief.

"I stayed really still." she told him.

"You did. Maybe even more than necessary. I'm impressed." Loki replied.

"I know, I am very good." Mazi said with complete honesty. Hena twisted her mouth slightly at her.

"What are you reading?" the little girl asked, looking at Loki with interest. He leaned the book back to look at the cover even though he already knew.

"The potential thresholds of magical capacity." he said, nodding at her a few times.

"Sounds very nice." Mazi replied "But I wouldn't understand it."

"Not yet, anyway." Loki said.

"Like how much power you can exert before you die?" she asked. He blinked in surprise at her quick understanding.

"That would be a good summary, yes." he said, leaning his head back and forth.

"Interesting. I think my mom would enjoy that as well." Mazi said.

"She would." Hena agreed "But I am assuming that many of those theories could be broken by our family's powers."

"Some. Not all." Loki replied. Mazi took a few steps to her left and then went out the front door, leaning to see something.

Seeing that, Adden excused himself from the conversation to accompany the little girl out. Hena thanked him as he went by and the man nodded kindly at her. For the first time, he and Loki met gazes, but it didn't last long before the soldier was gone. Hena waited, almost holding her breath, when Loki just laughed, looking over at her.

"What?" she asked, voice trembling in unsure amusement.

"Watch him just skulk by." Loki replied, smile still broad.

"He didn't skulk!" Hena protested in shock "But he's not going to stir up any conflict. He handled that very well."

"What was there to handle? He just walked by. Even I could sense the emotions and that's not my talent!" Loki replied.

"Be kind." Hena said sheepishly.

The God of Mischief just glanced down to contain his laughter. Hena watched him warily for a moment, wondering if he could continue, but he didn't.

"Dad?" that was Mazi calling now.

Hena's eyebrows went up "They're not here yet. At least, I didn't think they were."

Similar to Earth, Anaheim used the term 'dad' occasionally, rather than 'father'. It almost seemed to make their speech less severe than Asgard's.

"Dad?" Mazi sounded more impatient this time as she came back towards the house "Dad! Oh...I mean...Loki!"

Hena breathed out quickly and Mazi appeared in the door. Loki glanced up.

"Sorry, I meant you." she said, eyes on the God of Mischief.

He nodded "Yes. I've not been trained to respond to that name."

"I know." Mazi replied "But mother-" she put her hands on her head with a frustrated growl "I mean Hena. Nevermind." she just turned to her sister instead "Will you come play on the ice?"

Not expecting that, Hena's face immediately lost enthusiasm.

"Oh. Well. Not right now if that's alright."

Mazi scowled intently at her, leaning forward to dramatize it.

"Mother and Father are coming soon. I need to be ready." Hena explained.

"For what?" her little sister countered "You don't play as much anymore. You don't help me get away with things either."

"Yes I do." Hena said indignantly, even though that may not have been something that warranted pride.

"But you don't do them with me anymore." Mazi held her furrowed look and went back outside.

"It's easier to get away with things with one!" Loki called after to remind her.

Hena cocked her head at him pointedly and he shrugged.

"We must be great parents." she said "Mother, Father."

"I know." Loki nodded in agreement.

A light on the screen near Tony blinked on and he glanced over.

"Another one?" Hawkeye asked, head tilted.

"Yes, you don't mind if I step out to see this one, do you?" Tony asked, backing up towards the door.

"Is it outside?" Captain America asked.

"Outside, yes. Right outside this house, no." Tony replied "Taking a peek at these things while they're happening might not be such a bad thing."

"You're going to fly out to see it?" Captain America glanced back at Thor "Don't you think that's dangerous? We don't really know what they are."

"I'm sorry, are shimmering lines too scary for you?" Tony held out a hand in his direction "That's all that we're seeing here."

"Then why go see it?" Captain America asked "You said yourself that your machines are very accurate in their readings. There must be something there to watch out for."

"Well, I'm self-centered, right?" Tony asked, fingers pressing on his chest "Might as well act on that and do what I want."

"I've never called you self-centered." Hawkeye pointed out casually "Not to your face."

"It's a whole mind reading process, which, I'm sure only Hena understands." Tony said, circling a finger near his head and pressing his lips together in mock disappointment "Either, way, heading out."

"You might not be happy you went alone if you discover it actually is something." Thor cautioned.

"Oh, I feel you'll be there in spirit, don't you worry." Tony grunted, clicking the screen to zoom in on the spot. A tab opened up with the current live recording that he likely opened up for them to see. Captain America slowly walked out behind him, arms folded.

"Ready to see a party trick?" Tony asked, walking past Mazi. She peered after him curiously, and then turned her attention to the others coming outside. Hena had come, so Loki wasn't far behind. He had a very thoughtful expression right now.

Tony clicked a few buttons on the pad encircled around his wrist and then a full-fledged Ironman suit enveloped him.

"Yep. That's magic." he muttered. He flexed his hands and feet to lift off into the air. He climbed a few feet before the suit stalled and he jerked in place for a moment, the power fading in and out.

"Well, I need a return this and get a refund." he said, struggling to balance.

Hena grabbed one of Loki's hands and kept a firm hold.

"Stop it." she said under her breath, shaking it. The God of Mischief let up his jinx and suddenly Tony had full control of his suit again. He hovered for a moment, briefly untrusting of his own technology, before taking off into the air.

Loki couldn't contain the smile that came over his face. Hena let go of him, sensing his magic was docile again. Odin observed that without comment, but he definitely saw it.

"Hm." Mazi said, thoughtfully "Where is he going?"

"To check on something a distance away." Hena replied, dipping her head.

"I would like to fly. But not in something like that." the little girl informed them.

"I agree." Hena said.

"Wings would be most desirable." Mazi's formal tone suggested she was copying another person's line. Then Volstagg spoke.

"I just feel as though that mortal is going to have a severely shortened life." he said.

Although that was serious all of the other Asgardians, Hawkeye and Black Widow chuckled.  
Mazi continued to stare after the machine for a moment and then into the forest. Her eyes lit up and then she hurried over to Hena. She beckoned her down. Her older sister crouched to listen as Mazi whispered into her ear. Several seconds later, Hena scowled. She looked out at the trees, confused.

"Where?" she asked.

Mazi pointed out in the field and Hena squinted.

"I don't see anyone." she said curiously to her.

Those words gained Loki's attention immediately, along with several others. They glanced up as another Ironman suit flew near the house, scanning the area as it did every half hour or so.

"What does she see?" Loki asked, looking out warily at the forest area.

"Are you talking about that?" Hena asked, still very lighthearted as she gestured at the suit in the air.

"No, the girl." Mazi said, glancing up at her sister in irritated confusion.

"Mazi, there's no one there." Hena replied, getting slightly uneasy herself. Unless the little girl was making a joke, this was very unlike her. Odin's head was turned to the side, still peering at them.

Then there was a sudden intense beeping from inside the house. They all turned except for Loki, who was gazing where Mazi had been before.

Banner was only one left in the house and he appeared suddenly in the doorway with a tablet in his hands.

"Guys," he said, glancing up from it slowly and looking past them "One of the surveillance cameras is showing something just a bit outside the house."

"Where?" Captain America asked him, taking a few steps in his direction.

"Out there." Banner pointed just beyond Mazi.

Hena blinked, heading turning immediately back the other direction.

"She is smiling at me." Mazi said, ready to walk out there to investigate. Loki grabbed her arm and carefully pulled her back towards them.

"What are you doing?" Hena asked nervously as Thor and Odin joined the three of them. The Warriors lingered behind.

"Just because we don't see anything does not mean that she cannot." Loki said seriously.

 _"Is_ there something there?" Captain America asked lowly.

"Has a portal been opened?" Thor's question overshadowed the soldier's almost instantly and the others waited for an answer to it. Loki just briefly shook his head, grudgingly giving that information as he kept his eyes forward.

"Let me check something." Hena replied, placing a hand on her little sister's shoulder to see her mind more easily. The girl waited silently, a small scowl on her face.

"Would you describe her, Mazi?" Loki asked, his stance suggesting he was prepared to move quickly if he needed to do so.

"She's tall. And she looks kind of like my mother." she responded "Her hair is blonde, but a dark blonde."

"Oh my goodness." Hena said quietly, eyes shocked "Loki. It's your mother."

Odin looked over at her immediately. Thor recognized the same weary expression from when the king had come to Jotunheim to save them. Loki's jaw tightened a little bit. Surprisingly, he did look over at his adopted brother and father, eyes asking a reluctant question.

"What do you mean?" Odin asked, voice tight.

"That is who Mazi can see standing there." Hena replied, breathing slowly as she peered at what she could only see in her sister's mind.

"She's waving." Mazi said and raised her own hand to wave enthusiastically in return.

The Ironman suit that was patrolling around the house came to land on the ground not far from where they were standing. It was facing where Frigga would have been if she were visible.

"This could be the answer to the unknown beings entering the realms." Thor said, taking a few steps forward.

"Thor," Odin began firmly, but Mazi cut him off.

"She says stop." the little girl said quickly "She is holding up a hand."

Thor blinked and looked back at Odin, completely bewildered.

Mazi looked up at Hena questioningly "How come you can't see her?"

"I don't know." Hena replied, distracted.

"She still looks happy." Mazi said, tilting her head "But she doesn't want you to come closer. She is telling you to stay where you are."

"What does that mean?" Thor asked. It was to Odin or Loki, whomever could answer the question. His brother's face was pulled back in a reserved expression. He was still in a vaguely protective position.

The beeping still hadn't stopped from inside the house, indicating that the alarm was still being triggered by something.

"She's white and partially transparent." Hena said slowly "She does not look like an ordinary person." She could see the woman clear as day in Mazi's mind, just not with her own eyes. Frigga was beautiful. Her dress was light blue with silver armor across the chest and back and she was smiling as if she would never stop. Then, she lifted a hand and pressed it to her lips before extending it back out to them in a gesture of respect.

"She is saying goodbye now." Mazi said, sounding slightly disappointed "She's waving to everyone." then the little girl herself smiled "I think she thinks I am funny. She is laughing."

Nobody cracked a smiled, least of all the former queen's immediate family. Mazi waved back at the empty field again.

"Now she is gone." she said. She looked up at Hena and Loki, eyes blinking innocently "I did see her."

"I don't doubt it." Loki said, voice hushed.

Hena silently motioned for Adden to take Mazi closer to the house and he did so without interfering in the conversation.

"But this is to our advantage, is it not?" Thor demanded, unsure as to why the mood was quite so solemn.

Loki slowly looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"What in the _hell_ makes you think that this is actually her?" he asked with quiet anger "Did our experience retrieving the scepter teach you anything?"

Thor looked at him, obviously recalling the moment where Loki had brutally prevented him from soaring right into Thanos' hands.

"And you think this could be the same?" he asked.

"Unless she's come to you before." Loki replied with a hint of bitterness "They will use her against you. Do not put faith in everything you see." he nodded towards the field "Or what others see."

"What occurred when you recovered the scepter?" Odin spoke now, his adament voice making Loki tense. He refused to look over.

"Let Thor tell you." he growled.

"Perhaps you should." Odin replied.

Loki shot him a glare and then Hena interjected.

"The beings that attacked tried to entice Thor and the scepter into a portal." she said, knowing perfectly well what had happened "They replicated Frigga's voice to do so."

Loki added nothing to that, although Odin's gaze still hovered on him. Hena's eyes shifted between the two of them for a moment, letting out a small breath.

"Loki saw through it and I did not." Thor said, which was considerate, given the circumstances "But this doesn't seem to be quite the same. She wasn't visible. To _anyone_."

Loki sniffed in scornful amusement as he shook his head ever so slightly. He tilted his head to look at Thor "I realize this will affix me to the line of suspects, but creating and maintaining an image as such is not a difficult thing to do."

"But she was only visible to one person." Thor said.

"And with a slightly different incantation, I could do the same." Loki replied definitively.

"I saw something similar to this not long ago." Thor said slowly "One of mother. I believe it was truly her."

"When?" Loki asked the question as if it didn't matter because the fact simply wasn't true.

"Not long after we came here." Thor said.

"It is very easy to manipulate what just passed." Loki replied.

"Then what do you suggest?" Odin asked with a hint of reprimand in his tone, but also openness to an answer. Hena peered at the God of Mischief.

"This is dark magic at work." she said.

"Darkness has a distinctive mark. This did not." Odin replied.

"Respectfully, if our sense of sight is blinded, others maybe too." Hena said. Loki eyes remained on the ground, jaw moved to the side.

"I acknowledge that." Odin responded gravely.

Hena glanced back where the woman had been, but differently this time.

"Avert your eyes." she said, raising a hand as if to block something "My parents are here."

 **I am SO excited for this next chapter! SO SO excited! I hope that you liked this one! PLEASE review! :D**


	29. Resentments Unfolded

**This is gonna be fun guys. Enjoy!**

Even though many of them were less concerned with the arrival of Anaheim's leaders and more about the apparent sighting of Frigga, Odin immediately stepped up to greet the king and queen. Valder and him took each other's forearms firmly.

"Odin." he said with a respectful, yet guarded nod "It is very good to see you again."

"I wish it were more for frivolity than need, but likewise to you." Odin replied. He did break the stoic expression that had grazed his features for a long time as he spoke with them. He welcomed Svleiva with a great amount of respect, perhaps even more than he had with Valder. It was customary of him to treat a woman as such, which, that example would be appreciated by his son's future wives.

"Mommy!" Mazi spotted them from the spot where Adden had coaxed her to. She hurried over, running right past Valder, who clearly would have also liked a hug from his daughter. He shook his head slightly in mock offense as Svleiva knelt to embrace her. The queen looked happy until Mazi couldn't see her face for the hug. Then it changed to foreboding as if she saw something that scared her. But it quickly faded when she let go of her daughter with a loving look.

"I've missed you."

"I also missed you." Mazi responded "But I have been having fun here too."

"I'm glad." Svleiva said mildly.

The little girl backed away and then turned to her father, who watched her with folded arms. She grinned mischievously before walking stiffly over to him. He picked her delicate body up, reminding Thor of what Odin had said about Valder sacrificing much of himself to rid his children of the curse. Which, the cause and effects of it were still unknown.

"Well, you still seem to be Mazi." her father said, inspecting her thoughtfully "I was worried you might have gotten switched out with another girl just so you could stay here longer."

"No." Mazi said loudly as if he were ridiculous.

"I'm glad, I don't think I would have enjoyed that." Valder replied, wrapping his arms around her with a grin. She squeezed him back before allowing herself to be set back down.

Svleiva was eyeing Hena and Loki, able to sense that something was wrong by the emotion in the air. She tilted her head at her older daughter, perhaps communicating with her silently.

* * *

"These invasions cannot be _seen_ by anyone on Anaheim." Valder said, looking directly at Odin, shocked at the news the king had just passed on.

"Tell me what you know about them then." Odin replied calmly "These are my biggest concern because if beings are traveling this way, our enemy is everywhere. We can take a war to them, but only if they are gathered."

Upon their arrival, the group had made short work of addressing the topic. Several Anaheim guards had come with Valder and Svleiva and had been set to watch Mazi inside. Even though Hena had said her parents understood about the incident with the scepter, her mother appeared slightly anxious about leaving their younger daughter alone now that she had her back.

"We only know that there have been breaches to our magical barrier. Hundreds of them. It is as if one of us had entered in, but they are able to vanish from the realm without departing, if that is comprehensible." Valder said.

Odin nodded and the man continued.

"My fear is that they are studying and learning the environment for attack. And among all of the light realms, not just Anaheim."

"Can you tell if it is the same beings coming and going?" Odin inquired.

"Yes, we can loosely track that, but in the past we have only used it to make sure that certain people are monitored when they come. Each of them do not always enter or leave the same way. Sometimes they are sensed coming, sometimes going, and sometimes both. There is no pattern." Valder said.

"The ones where you can sense both, how long do they stay?" Odin asked, each question coming smoothly as if he had already thought this through "And please know that I am aware this could be happening in Asgard as well. I have no intention of undermining you. You are just the only one who can tell us when it is happening." with those words, his eyes flicked briefly to Loki as he had said the same thing to him days before.

"I understand. They do not stay longer than a day." Valder replied "And they do not return often, but that only means there are so many of them that they do not need to do so."

"Maybe we also need a magical barrier. It seems to be happening here too. May as well track it." Hawkeye said, speaking up between the two kings.

"While I wish that were possible, ours took many centuries to become strong and fully functional." Valder replied with a dip of his head "It would not be wise to divert strength to that now. My sense is that this realm has fewer invasions than others right now."

"Do you know why Mazi would be able to see someone while the rest of us could not?" Hena asked her parents. They both shook their heads in response.

"No. My instinct would say it is because she is young, but we have not had any other children speak of this on Anaheim." Valder replied "Nor did Mazi when she was home."

Loki's eyes flicked up, catching Svleiva's attention. She looked at him expectantly, hopeful for him to speak on that matter. He looked back down briefly.

"Loki?" she asked, leaving him no other option but to speak his mind. The attention was turned to him and he blinked slowly.

"Mazi interacted with the scepter." he said "That is the only thing that differentiates her from the rest of us."

"You have as well though." Hena replied, saying it so plainly that it made several of them wince. But she was not even slightly wary at mentioning it "And Thor."

"She possesses something unique. She was able to magnify its power dramatically." Loki glanced at Hena "You said yourself that it was unlike Mazi to touch something she did not trust."

"It is." Svleiva spoke, intent on his words.

"Perhaps because it felt trustworthy to her. Its influence is manipulative from a distance. She likely felt urged to handle it." he eyed everyone but those of Anaheim with a hint of coldness "All of you would be lying if you said you didn't have a very strong impulse to pick it up and use it at one point or another."

For a moment, they waited and then glanced at each other. Odin surveyed their expressions silently.

"As a passing thought." it was Fandral who spoke up actually, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. A few of the others vaguely nodded.

"Hence the reason it is outside, not within immediate reach." Loki replied.

"Wise." Valder said with one nod at him. That response prevented the others from commenting. The king went on "Now, I know nothing can be made certain, but is there a thought in anyone's mind that this sighting of Frigga was not a deception?"

"It is extremely unlikely, if not impossible." Odin responded, maintaining neutrality despite the subject "The dead have not been seen by the living in millennia. It would not start now."

Valder sighed "I understand that. But having it be her would be cause for hope."

"Yes, it would be." Odin replied. Thor glanced at his father.

"Do you have plans to attack, or will you wait?" Svleiva asked, her voice much gentler than the others.

"I would like to coordinate our plans. And have a word in private." Odin said, inclining his head away from the house.

"Will we be let in on those plans?" Captain America asked before they were sure to leave.

"When we decide what would be the best action, we will inform you." Odin replied.

Valder placed a hand on Svleiva's back as they turned to walk away from the group. Both Thor and Hena seemed unsure as to whether they were supposed to follow, but their parents did not turn back when they stayed where they were.

"Where are you going?" that was Mazi, calling from the doorway of the house. She stared at her parents with a confused scowl.

"We aren't leaving." Valder assured her "We are having a conversation with Odin for a moment. We will be right over here if you need us."

"Okay." Mazi responded, stepping outside and coming down the steps. She had a book in both hands and was heading over for the group. Lila followed her from a distance, obviously still not sure about the people there.

Hena smiled at her sister as she came closer.

"Here." the little girl said, handing the book to Loki. He took it from her with one hand.

"You left it." she told him before turning around to return to Lila.

"Thank you." Loki said after her "That's..." he examined the book cover a moment "That's...that's...not mine." he glanced back up, watching Mazi leave in a sudden spark of amusement.

Hawkeye lifted his chin to see what book it was the same time as Hena.

"Really?" she asked with a small laugh "Honestly, it is quite similar to one of yours though. _The Count of Monte Cristo._ How intriguing."

Loki just raised and lowered his eyebrows without saying anything to that. Thor looked away so that his younger brother wouldn't see the tiniest of grins. Even so, the God of Mischief was definitely more reserved since giving his piece on why Mazi was the only one to have seen 'Frigga.' That experience still played on everyone's minds.

Valder, Svleiva, and Odin were still speaking by the time Tony arrived in the distance. The three of them only glanced over briefly as they seemed to be having a very serious conversation. There was a slight tension between them, even though Odin had told Thor their realms were at peace with one another.

Lila watched him approach until Mazi requested her attention.

"Don't look at him." she said "He thinks he is impressive, but he is not."

Hena immediately turned away with a loud laugh caught in her throat.

"She should have waited to say that until he was closer." Captain America said.

Fandral looked at him strangely "Do you have a vendetta against him or something? I thought you all to be friends."

"It's a love hate gig we have going on." Hawkeye replied, flipping his hand side to side.

"Usually more love than hate, but not always." Black Widow said.

"I see." Fandral's pacifying voice suggested he just didn't want to get into a full blown conversation regarding that.

"Mazi!" Hena called over to her little sister.

Loki looked over in surprise "Are you going to scold her for that?"

"Do you disapprove?" Hena asked, pointedly.

"Yes." Loki replied easily.

Hena turned fully to face him, arms folded "You two really are little...buddies, aren't you?"

Loki's eyes went up in thought for a moment "If you want to use that term."

"I'm supposed to a responsible sister." Hena said.

Loki scowled as he raised a hand towards Mazi "She didn't even mean for anyone to hear. She wasn't being offensive."

"No, but she still said it. Your defense is very kind though." Hena replied, smiling.

"I have my moments." Loki said with a small nod.

Mazi was still coming over to her older sister, head tilted to the side questioningly. Hena, obviously feeling unable to rebuke her, stared for a few seconds.

"Nevermind." she said, before giving Loki a vaguely resentful glance. She abruptly turned to walk over to the Anaheimien guards, who were still keeping an eye on Mazi.

"She looks unhappy." the little girl said "That sucks."

Loki's eyes opened in surprise, same as the other Asgardians.

"What?" he asked.

"Cooper said it when he was upset." Mazi responded. Not to tattle, but simply as an informative statement. Hawkeye made a overly dramatized face at that.

"You're becoming slightly crude." Loki told her now. He smiled now "Your parents won't like that at all."

"No, don't tell them!" Mazi turned to him anxiously "You have to promise!"

Loki took a step back from her ferocity, eyebrows up. He licked one hand and raised it near his head sarcastically.

Mazi immediately faded from nervousness to laughter, head tilted back in a slightly evil manner. Hena glanced back, her attempt to hide her humor lacking conviction. She excused herself from the guards. They must have been relieved from their specific duty to watch the little girl because the only one who continued to pointedly watch her was Adden.

"Will you come with me?" Mazi asked Loki politely, perfectly mature for a moment.

"Where?" he asked.

"There." she pointed to the house "I want to show you something, but the thing I am using is over there."

Loki gave Thor a contemptful glance, obviously to gain permission. He didn't wait for it to be granted, however. It was mainly the action that needed doing, despite its insincerity.

He passed Hena on his way over, holding up the book.

"I am going to return this." he told her. She looked after him for a moment before heading back to the group, eyes lit with excitement. Thor didn't ask at what, but he was definitely curious.

Tony was walking closer now, suit retracted from his head.

"They have arriven." he said, gesturing at Valder and Svleiva with mock excitement.

"Yes, and you missed out." Hawkeye told him.

"On their grand arrival?" Tony asked.

"Well, yes. A few other things though."

* * *

It did take a while, but the royal threesome did finish their private conversation. Hawkeye had invited everyone inside for drinks as well as to hear the verdict.

The hardest thing for Captain America, and all of the mortals really, was that they didn't have just one person to represent the whole Midgardian population. As such, they were at a great disadvantage as far as making decisions.

"The three of us have decided that the best course of action will be to unite our forces at this time. But, until we discover the cause behind the unseeable invasions, we cannot confront these enemies." Odin was the making the announcement. He was the senior leader, therefore allowing him status above the others, but that was sure to be the last thing on his mind.

"We will divert extra forces to search for an answer." he went on "But, we do not want to incite a war if it is not necessary now. We do not know what we up against yet, and, as such, could lose many lives to our rash decision. That is not something we are willing to risk. We will wait until we face an enemy we know."

Everyone listened silently, all of their gazes on the ground. Odin waited patiently for their response, although he was looking at Loki, contemplating something. But even when the others looked up, the God of Mischief did not. His face was expressionless and his eyes were hard.

"What is your plan if this realm is attacked?" Captain America was the first to speak. His tone suggested he accepted the decision "We seem to be attracting the most attention."

"Midgard is under my protection." Odin replied "I will ensure that you have sufficient help if that should happen. We will pay close attention to anything occurring here. However, we intend to send out a reconnaissance team to the borders of Anaheim. You are invited to be part of that commission. Thor will remain with you beyond that until we deem it unnecessary."

"We hope not to run into hostiles during those missions." Valder added.

Captain America nodded slowly at them, processing the information.

"I will leave warning the other leaders of your realm up to your discretion." Odin said "If you find it would be helpful, you may do so."

"Seeing how that would probably end up with our asses in prison, so I think we'll pass until we actually see enemies attacking." Tony replied "But thanks for the permission."

"When do you suggest the missions to Anaheim's borders begin?" Thor immediately asked the question to distract from Tony's blunt words.

"If you are willing to lead them, in the coming weeks." Valder responded, seemingly not shocked at the mortal's vocabulary "They will still be dangerous, so you will need time to prepare."

"Dad!" Mazi called her father from outside. Hena immediately looked at Loki, grinning.

"Not me." he said quietly just to her.

"Mazi, one moment, I am speaking with others." Valder replied.

"No, Daddy!" Mazi protested, her voice getting closer.

"Mazi, you need to wait." Valder responded.

"No, this is more important." Mazi said adamantly, appearing in the doorway.

So, Valder turned to her, eyes expectant for something very amazing. She took a deep breath, and then noticed that all the attention was on her. She hesitated and then backed up self-consciously.

"Nevermind."

Valder watched in pure amusement, eyes warm as she left, leaving the attention behind.

"She does not usually shy away from being the focus of others." Svleiva said with a small smile.

"Likely because she interupted." Valder replied. He returned his attention to Thor "But, yes, in these next weeks, when you are able."

Thor glanced at Loki, who still avoided interacting in the discussion, and then at his father. He wasn't sure if the God of Mischief was meant to be included in the teams to Anaheim. If not, that likely meant he was returning to prison shortly. And his brother was smart enough to know that.

Odin met Thor's gaze, but his expression didn't give anything away.

However, Valder and Svleiva observed the whole exchange and Anaheim's king looked at Odin, eyes narrowed.

"Am I correct in assuming that Jotunheim is no longer the prime threat we are to be concerned with then?" Volstagg asked.

Odin nodded at him "I don't suspect them of having truly foul intentions as our other enemies do. We will keep watch in the event that they come here again. I do not believe they will."

"It's probable they only took advantage of the random openings to another realm, just as others would." Hena agreed. Finally, Loki looked up, eyes on her.

Odin inclined his head to acknowledge her words before looking at the rest of the group "If you have objections, speak them now."

The room fell silent and several of them shared looks, but no one said anything.

"Very well. We will proceed with the plan then." Odin said.

At those final words, Mazi hopped back inside, apparently having only been a few feet away. She planted herself in front of her father, eyes demanding attention.

"Dad!" she said.

"Mazi!" Valder responded in the exact same way, smiling.

"I want to show you something now." she informed him. She then moved her penetrating gaze to Svleiva "And you must watch also."

"Of course." her mother replied.

"Okay." Mazi put her hands together, eyes concentrated "I cannot make it work sometimes, but I am getting better."

Hena waited in anticipation as the little girl opened up her hands. She had only been expecting one, but a whole group of butterflies flew out.

Both of the parents watched in amazement, surprised at her sudden improvement in forming images. Then, Mazi let them vanish, beaming with pride.

Valder clapped for her and her eyes flew open when the others joined him.

"Very good, Mazi." he said.

"Yes, I'm impressed. Someone has been practicing. And listening." Svleiva commented, glancing at Loki knowingly.

"Mhm, I am good at learning." Mazi replied. She held out a hand and a single butterfly hovered above it. She stared at it in adoration. Then she walked over to Loki and Hena.

"Good, yes?" she asked him.

Loki nodded "Yes, very."

The little girl let out a low, mischievous chuckle "I'm going to go and confuse Nathaniel and Cooper with a few things."

She took off to go outside, leaving Svleiva to raise her eyebrows quickly.

"No. Do not let her do that." she said indignantly to Loki, pointing after her daughter.

"Oh." he turned as if he just realized "Oh, awww too late." he replied, extending a hand after Mazi in feigned dismay.

Hena looked in between them, face apprehensive as Svleiva tilted her head to look at Loki stoically.

"I mean, I can go supervise her doing it." he said, stepping towards the door "Would that work?"

Assuming yes, he began walking out the door. Svleiva walked after him swiftly and Loki immediately quickened his pace after one humored glance back at her. Hena pressed one finger over her lips as if to seal them shut so she didn't laugh.

Svleiva turned back and it was obvious she was not really that upset. But she kept her face neutral, same as Hena. The older daughter put her eyes right on her father.

"So close. Each time they are so close." she said, her smile the widest yet.

Valder mouth curved, but he didn't add anything to her words.

"Well, I must ask bluntly. Do you like him?"

"Loki?" Hena asked in surprise "Of course I like him. And I don't just mean I enjoy him as a friend. I like him."

"Why?" was Valder's response.

"Why?" Hena's voice was incredulous as she stared at her father in dismay "What do you mean? Don't _you_ like him?"

"Yes. But, I should know if you admire him for the right reasons, shouldn't I?"

At that, Hena immediately looked relieved. Svleiva was clearly waiting for a response as well, head turned to the side thoughtfully.

"Do you want me to list everything I adore?" Hena asked, not at all put off by that "Because I will. He is so gentle. And not just with me, but with everything he does. And he comprehends so many things that are beyond him. His intelligence is astounding to me, as well as his magical abilities. He taught a fair few of them to himself." she blinked, eyes glistening "He is so kind, and he makes me feel like I am the angel of the realms. Especially when he calls me dear Hena. Dad, he just makes me so happy!"

Valder shared one look with Svleiva, lips pressed together to ensure that he didn't interrupt.

"He is also completely respectful towards me and is kind to me for the right reasons. Many men enjoy what I can do for them with my magical abilities, but Loki won't even allow me to use them for his benefit. I cannot tell what he is feeling, but I don't need to."

Now Valder nodded slowly "That is extremely admirable."

"Father, if it should happen, would you approve him?" Hena asked in a pleading tone.

"For the throne or to be your husband?" Valder responded. Unlike Asgard, the powers of the throne were not inherently given when someone married into the royal family. The king and queen did not need to approve them for the throne. They could still marry and not receive any rights. It also went a step further. The royal spouse did not need to give them the rights to the throne either. It could remain in the family without any deviation if they chose this way. Odin was the only one in the room who was aware that Anaheim followed this tradition, although the other Asgardians would have been able to guess it based off of Valder's words.

"Both." Hena said.

The king thought for a moment "Well. Both. But your mother and I intend to be around for a while longer. I hope you don't want to be queen quite yet."

"No, not yet. Not for a long time. I would rather just get married and have all the time in the world with him. You've seen him with Mazi. He is so good and kind with children. He would make the most amazing father. Particularly to a daughter."

"I have not heard this from you before. Sensed these feelings, yes, but how long have you been restraining these words?" Valder asked.

"I have wanted to marry him since he left Anaheim. I just...lost him for so long." Hena replied "But then I was finally able to reestablish the connect to him and..." she looked out the window to where Loki and Mazi were. He spun in a circle for the little girl and she said something in laughter.

Hena watched for a moment, eyes content, before turning to her father with a sudden sharpness.

"Why did you send Adden here?" she asked, both curious and mildly offended.

"I didn't select the guards." Valder replied, looking over at his wife in surprise. Hena shifted her gaze as well. Svleiva waited silently, not giving away anything.

"To let him know that Loki is alive and well. And to put things into perspective."

"For whom?" Hena queried.

"Both of you."

Hena blinked in confusion "But why?"

"Perhaps to give you a push. Allow people to set their boundaries." Svleiva said, still without hinting at her thought process.

"You mean Loki? Stake his claim?" Hena asked with a sudden spark of humor "But he has not been any different since Adden arrived. He has done very well around him."

"Good. That is a hopeful sign."

"Will you please just tell me what you mean? I am not going to reveal any of this to Loki, I promise." Hena said. Thor was just as curious as she was.

Svleiva drew in a breath "Loki may be arrogant and cocky at times, but I sought to know more. To remain humble around a rival, past or present, is true humility. He is extremely perceptive, but not always of himself. I wanted to so something that he would not discern."

Valder looked at his wife, expression impressed. Hena pondered this, mind clearly going a million directions at once.

"And he did well. But unintentionally." she said finally. The smile returned.

"You have a clever mother and a clever potential husband." Valder said. Hena nodded and turned to the door.

"Now, wait a moment. Before you go off and propose to him, we need to talk about a few things." Valder said "Besides, if you go out there now, Mazi will sense your excitement and she will tell Loki exactly what you have been thinking about."

"I wasn't going to go and propose." Hena replied indignantly as she stepped back closer to them.

Odin, surprisingly, was observing and listening to this without comment. Thor kept glancing at him, wondering if or when he would interrupt with the unwelcome truth of the matter. The conversation was all hypothetical, but the God of Thunder still worried.

"Here's a good question." Valder said, hand raised to his chin in a gesture of thought "Has he kissed you yet?"

Hena sighed and covered her face briefly "No."

"Oh dear. That's a problem." Valder shook his head "You know my rule. He must kiss you first."

"I know." Hena looked up at him "But he won't. He is being far too much of a gentleman."

"Well, he did have a very good mother, who likely enforced that well." Valder responded.

"He is almost _too_ respectful." Hena said.

"Then go get him to kiss you. Nothing can happen until that does."

"Hold on, let's not be seductive here." Svleiva said in irritation, making Valder grin over at her.

"Right. Hena, listen to the voice of reason." he said, taking a step back and offering his wife his place.

"Let him do it in his own time." she said.

"But, that might be a long time. I know he likes me. I suspect he may even love me, but he is withholding." Hena replied.

Svleiva blinked at her, as if slightly concerned with that response.

"Then be patient." she advised "Your father was with me."

"I am more like him though and Loki is more similar to you. Do you see that I am at a disadvantage?" Hena asked "Natural law would say that I should be the one to do something first. But our ways state otherwise."

"Indeed, they do." Valder replied, sympathetic, but not enough to do anything about it.

Hena rolled her eyes just a little bit. She did not continue on with her point though "Have I retracted my excitement enough to join him out there?"

"Not exactly, but if Mazi asks, just distract her quickly. She doesn't know enough to read minds and do something at the same time." Valder said.

Hena smiled, as if happy to have a way to release her energy without revealing anything. When she left, Valder's smile almost seemed to disappear. He stared after her and watched as she joined Loki cheerfully. Then he slowly turned to Odin, who met his gaze stoically. They clearly had something on both of their minds.

"Do not take that happiness away from her." Valder said.

Thor slightly withdrew his head in disbelief. He would not have been able to come up with a response to that, but Odin was not startled.

"It is not your place to decide that. Nor is it mine any longer. Loki made is own decision." he replied coolly.

Valder narrowed his eyes "It is very much my place. Especially considering the fact that we are going to need him to confront whatever goes we have to face."

Svleiva raised her chin beside her husband, remaining silent.

"Loki will join the expeditions for now." Odin replied "But he will not see them through."

"He has valuable experience. I'm unhappy that he gained it, but we would be foolish not to take advantage."

"Then you would be spitefully using him. Just as you accuse me of doing." Odin said.

The cheerful air that had been so obvious with Hena had quickly grown cold. The kings stared each other dead in the eyes, neither willing to back down.

"I would use his knowledge, yes. But you have lost faith in him." Valder growled.

"And you would blame me for that?" Odin asked.

"That man is one of the only beings I would ever trust to govern and rule Anaheim." Valder responded, without directly answering the question.

"Then I would be wary." Odin said firmly "He did not lead Asgard well. His power was abused the moment it was given to him."

"Abused or misguided? He always felt inferior to those he mingled with on Asgard. At the first chance he was notably superior, he treated others as he was treated. Anaheim has always treated him as an equal. You can deduce how that would result in his treatment of us." Valder responded.

"You think this is that simple?" Odin asked with no small amount of contempt.

"You do not?" Valder countered "You should amend yourself, Odin. That infers you believe it has something to do with his nature, which is one of the very things Loki uses to justify the destruction done to Midgard. But it is not within his nature. It never was. He had never done something so blatantly cruel until he discovered his origins."

"Loki betrayed Asgard." Odin growled "If nothing after that had occurred, you realize he would still be facing punishment?"

"That man is your son." Valder's voice vibrated angrily.

"Which only makes the betrayal worse." Odin said sharply "He shows absolutely no shame for what he has done. For the pain he has caused others."

"He's not going to show it to you!" Valder snapped "Not now. He should have been greeted with love. What he did was tragic and horrific and I do not believe he should have gone unpunished. But your sentence to him was far beyond what I believe to be just."

"He deserved _death._ " Odin said "That is our law when treason is concerned. But he was spared because of who he is."

Valder peered at him in shock.

"I cannot believe what I am hearing." he said quietly "I cannot comprehend it. He needed to know that you loved him and you turned him away. He betrayed Asgard, yes. But, do you not see that Loki was terrified? He couldn't fathom the idea of being sent back to Jotunheim. Of leaving his home."

"He knew that those plans were no longer of importance. I did not intend to send him back at that time. He knew this." Odin replied coldly.

"You told him this right after he had just learned everything he believe himself to be was a lie." Valder almost laughed in bitterness.

"Everything he knew was not a lie." Odin retorted immediately, voice enraged "He was our son. A member of our family. We loved him as such. He was a Prince of Asgard."

"And then he found out he was not intended to be all of that." Valder replied "He-"

"Not intended?" Odin brought his head back in disbelief "What in all of Valhalla makes you believe you have the right to make that accusation? I did not bring him to Asgard to let him come of age and then return him to Jotunheim when I felt he was ready. I wanted him raised in a family in which he could form a bond. He was always meant to be our son and Thor's brother."

"But some of your actions speak differently!" Valder replied in frustration "And if that is true, tell him so. I plead with you, Odin. As a father to a father. He was what he believe was a hated race. Why should he have believe you when you told him he wasn't returning to Jotunheim? He likely thought you were pacifying him."

"I am protector of these nine realms, I cannot just scold him for taking innocent lives." Odin returned to the previous subject, still angry.

"Love and understanding would have turned him back." Valder said "The sentence is not even the most dreadful part of this. It is your utter disregard for him. He was raised to hate what he is." he shook his head "I will not say that everything you have done is wrong. Loki was clearly raised with a tremendous amount of love. Show him that love now. He will do things I believe would surprise even you. He wants your validation, Odin. He seeks it. He has always sought it. Do not look at him as the man that has done horrible things. See him as your child who hurts deeply." Valder took a deep breath, eyes aggrieved "He almost came back, you know. He almost went back to Asgard after his time with us. He wanted to return home. To apologize and seek forgiveness. He was still angry, and would have remained so for a long time. But he would have accepted his punishment."

"Then why didn't he come?" Odin asked, voice hard.

"Because the very being we are preparing to fight against is a manipulative genius." Valder responded "He used that anger, that bitterness in Loki, and turned it to truth. He used that scepter to toy with Loki's mind. He validated everything Loki had ever felt and then told him he could make him a king, just as he was born to be."

"You know this?" Odin asked skeptically.

"I believe it as if it were truth." Valder replied adamantly "Loki was never as bitter as when he came to Earth. He will not allow me to see his time with Thanos. He has guarded those memories."

"Then you cannot say for certain that Loki was under the influence of any dark force." Odin replied, speaking of the scepter "Your assumptions are not based in fact."

"Ask Thor what he thought of his brother when he first saw him here." Valder said, looking at the God of Thunder briefly "He may not have been controlled in every action, but you know what dark magic does."

Thor was not expecting the attention to be thrown to him so suddenly, but it was removed just as quickly. He looked over and out of the window, seeing Loki, Hena, and Mazi together. Then he looked at the Warriors, his own thoughts racing.

"Loki had no interaction with that when he committed treason." Odin said "And yet, his rule was filled with death as well."

"Do you listen?" Valder snapped "Loki acted out of _fear_. And longing for acknowledgement. He would never be a good king of Asgard until he feels accepted and worthy."

"Loki was always accepted and worthy until that time." Odin said. He took a moment to control his next words "But it cannot return. Not after what he has done."

Valder did not reply for several seconds, watching the king warily.

"Shame on you." he said.

"As king, you should know I cannot give my children preferential treatment." Odin replied.

"No, I expect that a king should love his children as if he were not king." Valder responded harshly. He blinked in sudden pain "You did not even allow him to attend the mourning ritual for his own mother. The woman who raised him."

"How could I permit that?" Odin asked honestly "He renounced his claim to that right."

Even though what he said was partially true, Valder's words affected all of the Asgardians there. Volstagg in particular, glanced down at the ground.

"A right like that should never be taken away." Valder replied "And if you know the reason behind the betrayal, certainly you can adjust your laws."

"Then there would never be punishment for anyone." Odin said "There was not a reason for his actions."

"Then you are in denial." Valder told him "You took Loki for a purpose. Which is not wrong. I do understand your intentions. I really do. But it is a near certainty that he was not raised with quite as much as warmth as Thor."

Odin raised his chin at that, but Valder pressed on.

"Which, may never have been intentional. In fact, I doubt they were. I have seen memories that Loki attributes to being the inferior son." he said "Loki felt it. And then he found out why. Thor was a very overpowering older brother and I have no idea what was done to temper that. But now Thor has done his best to recompense with Loki. Odin, apologize to him. Acknowledge these hurts."

"I cannot seek forgiveness for something only Loki thought was prevalent." Odin growled "He was brought from Jotunheim-"

"And now he should bow to you for eternity?" Valder asked plainly "You brought him in to be your child. You cannot be this blind. If you truly loved him, it should tear you apart that he did not think so. How can you allow that to remain? My children mean everything to me."

"And you do not hold that feeling alone. Would you expect your daughters to do what he has done?" Odin asked fiercely.

"So your pride has been hurt? Your reputation damaged?" Valder responded "No, I would never expect that from them, but if it happened, I would know that something had been severely wrong. If this punishment is for your sake, then that makes the withholding of love even worse."

"You put words into my mouth. You and Loki are very similar in that aspect." Odin said, head raised.

"Perhaps there is a reason we do so." Valder replied.

"Valder." Svleiva said lowly, gaze wary of their argument "We need to leave."

He looked at her for several moments, obviously having a war within himself.

"Loki will be needed to win this fight." he said simply, returning his eyes to Odin.

"His knowledge is useful, not necessary. You seem to forget his skills were not used in our favor before."

"Do you think that you could really keep him here if he wanted to leave? His skills were used for terrible things, but why in Valhalla do you think he failed when he attacked this world? Loki is brilliant and there are many things he did that don't reflect this trait. It is not what he truly wanted."  
"Speak to him on that matter. He will tell you differently." Odin replied insolently.

Valder drew in a deep, angry breath.

"You yourself need to be banished to a mortal realm and learn something as Thor did." he said quietly.

Odin narrowed his eyes dangerously "How dare you?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure that my words don't offend Thor." Valder replied in contempt "He'll end up becoming a better man than his father."

"Valder!" Svleiva said sharply "We will leave. Now." she half-glared at Odin "I will not start a feud between our realms again. Least of all when we need to be united. The simple fact is that we care deeply for Loki, despite his actions. But I also know it is not our realm he turned his back on. You would do well to try and see both sides of this. We are taking our leave until the time comes to fight." she abruptly turned to exit the house. Valder stared at Odin for a moment, anger subsiding. Then he followed his wife without another word.

Thor closed his eyes briefly, not wanting to glance at his father. However, when he did, he did not see the anger that he expected. Resentment, yes, but little other emotion grazed the king's face.

* * *

"Do not let go." Mazi told Loki, eyes serious "Or we will go flying backwards."

"I won't." he replied, with enough sincerity to convince her. She was showing him a game that Hena and her played on a regular basis. It worked better because the two of them were so small.

Mazi took Loki's hands and then moved them up to grip his wrists. They didn't fit all of the way around, so he held hers gently, but quite firmly.

"No, we both spin around in a circle." she instructed "Without letting go."

"I think I can manage." he said with a nod.

"Okay, then go." Mazi said, pulling back on him to get her momentum started.

Hena watched in admiration as the two of them whirled around. It was much slower than her and Mazi would usually go, but Loki was far larger and could very easily throw the little girl a fair distance.

"Yes, just like this." she said happily.

Loki then swooped her up off her feet and spun her in a circle still. Mazi let out a startled laugh as she flew in the air, connected to a very sturdy source.

Hena smiled over as her mom came out of the house. They were still several yards away, so Loki didn't stop spinning Mazi for a few more moments.

Valder joined the queen at her side as they approached their children. Hena eyed them curiously, sensing something was wrong. But they both had happy looks on their faces.

"We are returning home." Valder said in explanation "Which mean you must come too Mazi, I'm so sorry."

The little girl let out a deep huff through her nose in irritation.

"When are we coming back?" she asked.

Valder smiled "We will have to see about that."

"When shall I return home?" Hena asked her parents.

"When everything is done here that needs to be." Valder responded "I'm not sure when that will be, but you will know."

Mazi, knowing it was time, turned and gave Loki a big hug. He put one arm around her head to reciprocate the embrace. She looked up with a grin and he smiled back down at her.

"I will miss you." she said.

"Likewise." Loki replied gently "Keep practicing your magic."

Mazi nodded quickly "I will. And I will read books to keep learning."

"That is always helpful too."

She stepped back with a mischievous glint in her eye before going over to her mother. Valder and Loki took each other's arm firmly, locking gazes for a moment.

"Thank you." Valder said, genuinely grateful "We don't practice that magic on Asgard, but she has heart for it."

"And natural skill." Loki replied "She doesn't need much direction."

Valder smiled slightly before moving to allow Svleiva forward.

"Take care here." she said in her soft tone, reaching to hug him.

Hena caught something in the corner of her eye and saw Odin in the doorway of Hawkeye's home. He was coming out slowly, not missing the farewell between everyone, but making sure not to intrude. Thor came with, but stayed on the porch.

Svleiva began to walk farther out into the field and her older daughter followed her to say goodbye privately. Mazi sauntered behind, as if doddling would actually delay them.

Valder watched gravely before breathing deeply.

"Protect my daughter, Loki." he said, placing a hand on his shoulder without looking at him.

The God of Mischief glanced over, eyebrows creased.

"Of course." he said, voice mildly questioning.

Valder patted him once before walking over to his wife and children. Loki waited before looking back at Odin approaching them with thoughtful eyes. Thor saw this, knowing that his brother did not realize that Valder had just lobbied so vehemently his behalf.

Hena stepped back from her parents, who were now obviously waiting for Asgard's king to arrive with any final words he had to say. She walked back towards Loki, nodding slowly at Odin as he passed.

* * *

It was almost sad to see Mazi leave. She'd become somewhat of an entertainment, even to the most stoic of the group. The realm's leaders seemed to have parted on a better note, but Hena could still sense that something had gone wrong. There was a general anxiety in the room, particularly from the Warriors and Thor. She had yet to search anyone's memories for an answer.

"They must have quarreled." she said regretfully.

Each and every one of them in the room looked up at her. Odin was outside still, having not returned from his final conversation with Valder and Svleiva. They had only left a few minutes ago. No one inside had really moved.

Loki seemed to be the least concerned out of all of them as he had no idea what had transpired.

"Dammit, I knew I should have stayed in here." Hena said in frustration. She waved a hand by her face to compose herself "Sorry for the cursing."

"I am not offended." Tony replied easily.

"I was hoping they wouldn't have any conflict." Hena said honestly "I wish I would have been there to say something."

"It may not have helped." Loki replied.

Hena rubbed her head briefly "They are all under a lot of pressure." she sighed "And my parents are more aggravated right now. Although, I do have some good news. My mother is expecting another child."

Loki brought his head back in surprise, eyebrows going up immediately.

"Oh, wow." he said, sounding genuinely happy for her.

The sweet news allowed the dreary feeling in the room to be lifted ever so slightly. Several of them offered words of congratulations. Hena did appear elated herself, but there was an underlying look of worry.

"I can see that it doesn't only bring excitement." Loki asked, gazing at her meticulously.

She let out a deep breath "Unfortunately, now. They have discovered that the curse put upon my mother resides in this child as well. To stop it from eventually taking my life, they conceived Mazi. That was when my father took it upon himself to expel the evil magic. But it seems that it will need to be broken for each child individually unless there is another to pass it onto."

Loki lowered his eyes at the news. Thor continued to watch her, thinking back at how very impatient Valder had seemed with Odin, even if many of the things he had said had been true. Granted, he had been speaking of something he cared deeply about, but it had seemed very out of character. He'd likely been feeling more protective than ever of his children.

"I'm scared for my father." Hena said honestly "He would die before he let one of us suffer. And he would do for this child what he did for Mazi without another thought. But my mother will not allow him to until they have explored every alternative option."

"A daughter or son?" Loki asked.

"Another daughter." Hena responded.

"What was it that cursed your mother?" Volstagg asked. Being a father himself, his concern was somewhat more elaborate.

"Something outside of Anaheim. It happened when they traveled to another realm. I believe it was called Vormir, but I cannot be certain. Very dark magic rested there." Hena said "It has put a lot of grief onto my mother's shoulders."

"Has she lost children because of it?" Volstagg asked.

Hena took a moment to think about what she would say, face solemn.

"She was with child four times before me, but she lost each one of them. That was when they realized the depth of the dark magic within her and were able to stay it. There were three others between Mazi and me that did not survive either. They thought that once the curse was lifted from Mazi, that they would be able to have more children, but that may not be possible." she said "As such, they have a lot on their minds right now. Many decisions to be made."

* * *

Thor debated with himself for a long time about whether or not to go and tell Odin what Hena had passed on. Him, the Warriors, and several of his mortal friends had gone outside. He hadn't asked them to accompany him, but he imagined they wanted to hear the reply from the leader of Asgard.

But Thor was still hesitating on approaching his father about it. Hena hadn't said it in front of Odin and Loki was obviously very opposed to him lending a hand to Anaheim. Worse yet, after their argument, Thor wasn't sure Odin would care to help them either. But he thought it would be best for the king to better understand Valder's vehemence. They'd lost seven children already. It did not seem fair for them to suffer another.

The conflict over Loki had also bothered Thor quite a bit. And, even though they wouldn't be very affected by it, it was on the the rest of the other's minds too.

"You know, just as a passing thought." Tony said, waving his hands as if encouraging them to indulge him "That scepter could be useful the next time we see someone here we don't like. Use it against them and gain allies at the same time."

Captain America looked at him for a moment.

"You mean, use it to take control of their minds?" he asked.

"Why not?" Tony asked "Mr. Ugly Red Guy could be a great reporter to Thanos himself. Spill him a few secrets that aren't true."

"Oh, yes, if only we'd had the scepter then." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

As they conversed about that, Thor's attention was drawn back to the house as he thought of Anaheim's predicament. Loki was actually coming up to them now. It was rare to see him approach them without someone asking him to do so. But he went right to Thor and no one else.

His older brother waited expectantly, unsure of what Loki would have to say to him at this moment. If Thor didn't know that mind reading was only Hena's power, he would have suspected Loki knew what had passed between the two kings.

The God of Mischief had a very stoic face, almost as if his actions were reluctant. He was relatively close to Thor, perhaps to keep the words private. He held out a small piece of paper.

"When you get back to Asgard, you need to go to the library." he said, voice intent and quiet "You need to get the book that I have written here. It will be in the area protected by enchantments. Odin can let you through to it if you ask him. Once you have it, either you or him need to get it to Anaheim. Take it to Valder and Svleiva."

"What is it?" Thor asked, taking the paper slowly from him.

"Information that will help them. Perhaps provide another way to remove the curse." Loki replied "I doubt they have come across it before. The book needs to get there."

Thor stood in silence for a moment, taking in the gravity of the moment. He unfolded the paper and read the words on it before looking back up.

"Alright." he said finally.

Loki took a retreating step back and gave a tiny, almost nonexistent, nod in his direction. He turned fully to walk back to where Hena stayed.

Thor watched him silently, paper still grasped in his hand. Loki clearly hadn't told Hena anything about it, so he wasn't going to ruin that, but he still felt stunned.

Fandral's arms were folded as he stepped up next to Thor, scowling thoughtfully.

"He came to you in confidence." he said softly, almost in awe.

Thor pressed his lips together briefly. "He knows he won't be able to do it for himself."  
The thought filled him with a tiny bit of bitterness towards his brother, but more of remorse.

"So he turned to you." Fandral replied, also weary of their whole situation "That signifies trust to me."

The God of Thunder glanced down at the title written on the paper in Loki's elegant handwriting. He knew he didn't have to, but he fully intended to make sure this unfamiliar book got to Anaheim. Even if Odin wished differently. Although, the king HAD implied that he would have helped Anaheim if informed of their problem.

It seemed Loki wasn't quite willing to go to his adopted father himself.

"Personally, after I heard about what he did here, I thought he'd lost his ability to have compassion for others like that. I'm glad to see that this isn't the case." Fandral said, his voice only loud enough for Thor to hear him.

The prince didn't respond as he was pondering about whether or not he should go to Odin now or later. The king was speaking with all of the guards, including the ones from Anaheim. Out of all of them, Adden was the one who responded the most. He appeared very intent on what the Allfather had to say.

Several minutes passed before Thor turned around to walk back to the house. Every head to turned to follow him in surprise, but they didn't say anything.

"Did Stark get the incident here on tape?" Captain America asked, glancing at Hawkeye as they did the same.

"Tape as in did he get it recorded, or is it actually on a tape?" Hawkeye asked with a bit of dryness "We don't use those anymore, so if you meant the latter, no, he didn't."

"Am I that old to you guys?" Captain America asked.

Hawkeye looked at him, one eyebrow up quizzically "You realize that VHS tapes were invented after your time too, right? Humor was lost on you. Yes, I assume that the suit that landed here would have recorded the nothingness that only Mazi could see. Why, you want to see it again?"

"It's just good to have something to back us up. Even if it's nothing." Captain America replied easily.

"I'm so sad that this makes sense to us." Hawkeye said.

"It would make sense to anyone else if they were in our shoes." Captain America pointed out, stepping onto the porch.

"Except, they're not, so it's just us. And, on another note, are you planning on going with Thor and whoever else on the trips to Anaheim?"

"Beyond Anaheim." Volstagg corrected from behind him.

Hawkeye glanced briefly back, if only to see who said it.

"Right. Around, beyond, through, on top, wherever."

Hena was just inside, sitting on the chair closest to the door. She was holding Loki's book he'd been reading for the past several days. It was the same book Hawkeye had peeked in. She hadn't read in front of them yet, but her face suggested she was very invested in it. In fact, she didn't even look up when they passed.

Thor was a bit confused to see that Loki wasn't in there. He could have sworn that he saw him walk in. Captain America walked over to Tony, who was by his board, rubbing his eyes with one hand. Thor almost asked over to the billionaire, but then saw Loki climbing up the few steps onto the porch. He wasn't sure what else his brother could have been doing out there and it was slightly unnerving that his first thought was that could have been something counter to their cause.

Loki came in, gaze on Hena. He leaned to look at the book for a moment, but remained silent for her. Hena's eyes were extremely focused, as if reading something enticing. She let out a deep breath and then glanced up to look at everyone.

"Ah!" she jumped as she realized Loki was there. His eyebrows went up as she stared at him with a scowl.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you say anything?"

"A moment ago. You were...very interested. I didn't want to disturb you." Loki replied.

"Well, walk louder. Then we wouldn't have this problem." Hena said, pushing her hair back behind her ears. She opened the book again, going right back to where she left off. Her optimistic attitude had returned.

"This is very interesting. I had no idea that realms were so well connected. It almost makes me feel vunerable." she said.

"The book also reiterates that the borders are generally very secure." Loki assured her.

"I am very glad of that. Billions of pathways could still be unknown to us."

"Likely. But not necessarily a security risk." he said.

Hena let her finger follow underneath where she was reading for a moment.

"You and Thor could technically open portals then, yes?" she said. Thor looked over, alerted to his name. Hawkeye tilted his head, frowning.

"Uh, no." Loki responded, blinking at her.

"That's not what it states here." Hena lifted the book for him to see. He read it for her, despite the fact that he was certain of the answer.

"Wielders of the few manifestations of Aesir power can merge to create an energy force that could form a sustainable link between two separate realms." Hena said, having already memorized it.

"This unification is greatly discouraged among common practice. The amount necessary to sustain a gateway is unattainable for most wielders." Loki continued for her.

Hena pulled it back down, eyes narrowed "How many times have you read this?"

"You were quite literally holding the words in front of my face." he replied, putting out a hand "But you are correct. In theory, it would be possible for the two of us to open a portal. However, I don't believe we would be able to reach the amount of power to do so without it being lethal."

"Not with me here." Hena said with a large smile as she looked back down at the book.

"That...is a different situation." Loki replied thoughtfully.

"I believe we could do that." Hena still sounded very eager.

"See, no." Loki reached and took the book from her in annoyance "This is why I don't want you reading these things. Better to remain in ignorance of things your powers could do. It becomes extremely dangerous otherwise."

Hena stood up indignantly, hands on her hips "Then you need to stop as well." she reached to grab the book back, but Loki let it vanish with a wave of his hands. She folded her arms, although she did not appear upset.

"Who knows, these things could be useful when and if we meet beings outside of Anaheim."

"That's exactly the time you would not want to armed with knowledge." Loki replied.

"I'm not sure that's true." Hena said "The right knowledge can keep me alive. I'll need it when I'm there, trust me."

Loki slowly brought his head back, inhaling and exhaling.

"I'm going to say something and you're not going to like it. You may not even listen to it, but I am going to say it anyway."

"I am excellent at listening to irritating things." Hena replied, chin raised in amused expectation.

"Going to the outskirts of Anaheim is going to be precarious." he said "You aren't going to be going there."

"You're right, I'm not listening to that." Hena said, looking away haughtily "They're outside MY realm. What do you expect me to do? Wait for reports?"

"You don't think there is a reason your father rarely let's you from Anaheim?" Loki asked pointedly.

"My father would let me leave at my discretion." Hena retorted "He has precautions set in place, and they are for a ridiculous reason."

"No, they are a very legitimate reason. Your power of stabilizing and intensifying energy is unique to you, Mazi, and your mother. You do not realize how valuable you would be to certain beings." Loki said "Good or _light_ beings would want to use you for themselves, let alone others without such integrity."

Hena leaned backwards, face stoic. Unsurprisingly, they had drawn the attention of the others in the room. Neither Valder nor Odin had mentioned Hena joining the missions, but even Thor had thought it was implied. Now he was not so sure that was the case.

"I do realize that." Hena said testily "And I also realize that I have a responsibility to protect what I can do. But I am very capable of doing so."

"You are. But this will not be the same. You will not be facing creatures will any sense of moral code. Fighting will be changed dramatically." Loki said.

"How do you mean?" Thor immediately asked, one hand extended with the question. The God of Mischief scowled over at him, suddenly very reluctant to give out information.

"You are to give what could be useful. This would be considered useful." Thor continued, waiting for a response.

"You are most definitely overstepping the agreement." Loki replied coolly.

"I do not believe so." Thor said flatly. Hena glanced in between them and then spoke with a sigh.

"It would probably be for the best." she said "I'm going to have to share it with my father as well. Most realms live with morality as a high priority. Anything different should be made known."

"I should hope it doesn't come as a shock to anyone that this exists." Loki replied.

"Honestly, me too." Hena agreed. Thor didn't say anything, worried he might alienate his brother again. But Loki looked over, still slightly peeved.

"You do know how Asgardians are trained in honorable fighting?" he asked frostily.

"Yes, of course." Thor replied.

"Well, forget all of that." Loki growled, making Thor blink several times. The Warriors frowned as well.

"When you are fighting these things invading the realms, they will not allow you a moment of weakness or hesitation." Loki continued "If you show them that, they will kill you. If you surrender to them, they will kill you. If you give them mercy, they will kill you."

"Sound friendly." Hawkeye said.

Captain America eyed Loki warily "We don't fight that way. Not dirty."

"Then _they will kill you_." Loki replied, leaning forward in irritation "You asked for advice and there it is. You cannot be your merciful selves with them. They will _always_ go for the lethal blow. Whether you are on the ground, fighting, or recovering. They aren't going to wait. Go for the kill whenever possible if you want to live."

"Odin wouldn't allow us to do that." Volstagg said "Neither would Valder, or any other wise king."

"Have they ever fought creatures like the ones we could face?" Loki asked. Of course, it depended on who he was speaking of, because the Avengers were most certainly familiar with the Chitari. But those weren't near the creatures he was referring to.

"I do not know." Volstagg said "But we follow the rules of civility."

"Then say goodbye to your family before you head to war." Loki advised, causing them to fall into a solemn silence "It may not be our way. And you may never have to do it again, but for this fight, forget your training. I would not be surprised if Odin has used such tactics in the past."

"I would doubt it." Thor said "Whatever you think of him, he is a good king, and has been for a long time."

Loki's eyebrows rose.

"I never said he wasn't a good king." he replied bitterly "Truly, I believe he is. In fact, I think he is a perfectly marvelous _king._ He is likely the best _king_ a realm could have."

Thor frowned at him, having no reply for the unexpected response.

"But a poor father?" Hena asked plainly. She didn't mean that, obviously, but was rather speaking what she suspected Loki was getting at. He held out a hand to her in agreement, nodding as he did so.

"Even if I were to do fight as they do." Hena continued, not giving time for any conflict to begin "I doubt you would tell me I should go with the the teams to the darker realms."

"Hena, physical battle is one thing. Manipulation is another. If in some circumstance you are apprehended by them, the very first thing they will do is travel to Anaheim and get Mazi, or one of your parents. They will force you to do what they want or you will suffer the consequences. You will be exploited for your power in anyway they can because it would be useful to their dying breath." Loki said pointedly.

"Well, then, if we are being honest, you should not be going either." Hena said firmly "You also have unique abilities."

Loki's eyes flicked back and forth for a moment.

"Well," he said slowly "Yes. But I would probably be the best candidate to go."

"No, you're not! What makes you believe they aren't going to exploit _you_?" Hena demanded.

"Nothing." Loki said honestly "But, they'll pay me heed before they do anyone else. Perhaps for a short time, but more than you would receive otherwise.

"You cannot be serious, Loki." Hena sounded incredulous.

"Well, for once I am." he said.

She bristled at that, eyes glaring "You think you will not allow _me_ to go when you will be the least safe of all of us?" she whipped around angrily to face the door and walked outside. Loki said nothing as she left, although he did watch with a hint of surprise.

It was quiet inside now, everyone shocked at the turn the conversation had suddenly taken. All they could think about was the fact that the God of Mischief hadn't wanted to keep his life when he made the deal with Odin. Maybe he didn't intend to die if he joined Thor and the others in the exhibition, but that didn't mean he was safe. Captain America finally broke the silence.

"She's right." he said quietly, eyes on the ground as he lightly shook his head "We aren't putting anyone's life in danger like that."

"You do not need to worry about my life." Loki responded.

"Then at least you should." Captain America said, now looking right at him adamantly. Thor's eyes widened as his friend mistakenly hinted that they knew his younger brother had asked to be killed as part the agreement. Odin had specifically warned against that. Captain America glanced down, cursing himself as he realized the same.

Loki's eyes had narrowed significantly. The combination of all three actions had caught his attention and now they were beginning to make sense. He raised his chin, daring one of them to say something. Thor met his gaze as if to beg him not to retaliate. But there was no such luck.

Loki turned around, ready to seek out the Allfather himself. The situation had only gotten worse.

"Loki, wait." Thor said, only taking a few steps after him. Hena, who was outside, looked as Loki passed her. She frowned at his demeanor, confused at what could have taken place in the few seconds she's been gone.

"I'm sorry, Thor." Captain America muttered, blinking in frustration.

"Loki knows we would have found out eventually." Thor said, the anger and worry in his voice aimed at his brother.

* * *

"Is this your idea of a private covenant?"

Odin glanced back briefly at the scathing tone before excusing the guards. He turned to face Loki, eyes in a scowl. The man had hardly spoken a word to him while here.

But the God of Mischief was approaching him now with very hard and angry eyes.

"What are you speaking of?" Odin asked, turning his head slightly.

Loki glared as he seemed to evade an immediate response.

"Was I mistaken in thinking that we weren't going to make public the details of our arrangement? I give you information and you fulfill my requests. I recall us even stating that it didn't need to leave that room. But, here we are, surrounded by others that are very familiar with my terms. I wondered if mortals had suddenly adapted to hear conversations hundreds of feet away. Or was it something else?"

Odin's face didn't waver at the accusation. He didn't even glance at his other son leaving the house, presumably to follow Loki. Hena hadn't come too much closer, but her eyes were wide. She did look back at the others joining the God of Thunder, silently demanding to know what had happened. They didn't know that Loki had purposely retracted the memory of him making that bargain with Odin so Hena did not see it. Perhaps because he intended to remove that part of their agreement. But the Anaheimien princess could all too clearly see the memories of everyone else around her now.

Thor went quickly forward, already having missed some of their words.

"It seems as though I really did not need to unhold my end of the bargain." Loki said, as if he could spit at Odin's feet "Your warnings may start coming later than you would hope."

"Don't make threats." Odin advised him calmly, hanging onto the last syllable for a moment.

"Right, it would be best that they take you by surprise." Loki replied with a contemptful dip of his head.

"I do apologize for the breach of confidence, but where Thor is concerned, it becomes a familial matter."

Loki laughed bitterly under his breath "Familial matter. Really? Is that the way we'll spin it? Seems hardly necessary now, does it not?"

"Perhaps to you." Odin responded.

"Just to me? I doubt that. It seems as though everything would have been better if I had just died in the first place. If _you_ would have just let me die. Then you wouldn't have to be dealing with it now."

Hena blinked in pain as he said this. Thor had glanced briefly in her direction just in time to see that. Her arms were brought close to her body in uneasiness. Loki and Odin had never had a discussion on their resentments. When Loki had returned to Asgard, he'd been sentenced and put in prison. And when the God of Mischief had been released, they'd only spoken briefly a few times.

"No. I have never spoken nor believed that." Odin replied "You are speaking those words. Not me."

Loki's eyes opened in disbelief and he brought back his head with an open mouth.

"'Your birthright...was to _die_.'" he said slowly, glancing up as if he could hear the words "'If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me.' I would like for you to tell me again how those words did not leave your mouth."

Odin's face still did not fluster. It took many moments for it to dawn on some of them that Loki must have been repeating words from his sentencing.

"That I thought you _should_ have been allowed to die never did." Odin replied.

"You are failing to see the similarities." Loki said "That and seeking to pacify me so that you can keep your title of being the protector of the nine realms. I am, after all, the only one who can help you do so right now. Seems ironic to many degrees."

"Because of what you did here?" Odin asked, eyes narrowing at him seriously.

"Because you only brought me to your 'loving' home to bring unity. Unfortunately for you, that did not come to pass. And you've discovered that I could once again be the bearer of peace now that another conflict has arisen."

"And do you choose to do so?" Odin asked "That would not appear to be the case at this time."

"I'm sorry, I'm merely following the example of the older son you hold so dearly to your heart." Loki replied with feigned innocence, causing Thor's head to jerk over to him. The God of Mischief could assume he was there, but he didn't look backwards "Wasn't it he that led us to slaughter Jotunheim? I can't imagine why he doesn't face such an unforgiving punishment. I can't imagine at all."

"I know you are aware that the intentions of your actions were different. You intended only to harm others. To put yourself above them. Thor acted as a defense of Asgard. And even if they were not different, you have other crimes added to your history. Ones that fall before your madness here on Midgard."

"I don't believe you can sense the intentions of anyone." Loki said truthfully "Unless you have suddenly become part of the Anaheimien royal family."

Hena flinched at those words. Not because they were hurtful, but because of the arguement itself. Odin's face was becoming more rigid. Pulled back and reserved.

"Loki." he said tightly "Before you came here, you betrayed Asgard. You let frost giants into our realm. And then proceeded to try and destroy their entire race."

"Wouldn't we have been better of without them? Monsters? Wasn't I bringing about the peace you desired so much?" Loki asked savagely, holding out one hand.

"Do you truly believe they are nothing more than that?" Odin asked solemnly.

"That is what you have taught me."

"I never spoke of them as if they should be eradicated. Never in that manner. They had to be controlled, but they are still living creatures. You seem to have forgotten that."

"You slaughtered them in droves." Loki's voice was dripping with icy amusement "Told us stories of all the horrible things they had done. How their lives were nothing compared to Asgardians."

"And they would say the same of us. We protect our own." Odin said firmly.

"Cloaking me in Aesir skin does nothing to change the fact that I am a frost giant. Obviously I am not yours." Loki replied with a small twist of his head.

"You are the only one who defines your worth based on that." Odin told him firmly.

"Well, if sending me back to Jotunheim would have brought about an everlasting peace, I must have been worth _everything_ to you."

Hena opened her mouth, fearful of the king's response to that. But Loki could not see her, only Odin could.

"You mock those long forgotten plans." he said "But then what were your intentions for destroying Jotunheim?"

Those words jarred Thor into realizing that maybe Loki had wanted the icy realm obliterated so that the peace his younger brother had been meant to create could rein, but he wouldn't have to leave his home. He wouldn't have to live somewhere so unfamiliar. And he'd wanted so badly to impress Odin. To do what the Allfather wanted without following the exact means of getting there. It had also been the birthplace of the lies that had changed everything for him.

"I am surprised you approved of Thor preventing me from doing it." Loki said, without responding directly to the question.

"Then I made a very poor impression upon you." Odin replied.

"Yes, I am who I am because of you." Loki said coldly.

"No. I defended your nature as you were raised, believing it not to be true. Perhaps it was." Odin growled, exchanging insult for insult.

Loki's eyes widened, lit with deep anger, making Hena inhale sharply. She glanced at Thor desperately.

"Am I _nothing_ to you?" Loki snarled "Was I always? Tell me. Tell me, Odin. If I was not, then explain the lack of attention, the lack of pride, the lack of any sort of acknowledgement from you!"

Hena slowly drew her hands over her mouth, trembling, as tears filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Thor watched her for a moment before returning his pained gaze to the conflict. Hena closed her own, releasing another tear as Odin spoke.

"Your perception of your childhood has been twisted." he sounded matter of fact and his eyes were stoic.

"Has it?" Loki asked with pure contempt, inclining his head a bit with his words.

"Yes it has." Odin replied harshly "And I think you know by whom."

"I was aware of this long before my fall from Asgard." Loki glared "You shunned me for Thor and you know that. You have always known that."

"If you believe you were shunned, you are wrong." Odin replied firmly.

"That is _not_ an answer." Loki spat "You avoid acknowledging any fault on your part."

"As do you, Loki." Odin said. The way in which he spoke made it sound more like he was talking to a son now. It had been a long time since he had addressed Loki by his name in such a manner "You grew closer to your mother. Thor grew closer to me. But there was never rejection."

"No." Loki was clearly finding it hard to carry on talking because his voice quivered with such anger. He pointed at the ground "The fact that you even attempt to use that excuse is pathetic. Mother treated us as equals, always. But from the moment you brought me from Jotunheim, I was defective in your eyes. Never truly a son to attain all that you had."

"Thor was first born." Odin spoke over him, voice sharpening "For him to become Asgard's king was law. That was never about you."

"I never wanted the throne!" Loki practically screamed at him. His fists clenched as he stared at his adopted father with wild eyes, demanding that he understand. Thor watched with a very grieved expression, unknowingly shaking his head.

"Thor was _only_ -born. It wouldn't have mattered if _I_ was older." Loki snarled "Because I was a _Frost giant_. I was to be sent back to Jotunheim all along."

"Those were not going to be carried out." Odin repeated.

"That was always my intended purpose." Loki said, eyes glistening as he stared at his adopted father with pure disbelief "I couldn't have been enough. You sit on your throne in ignorance of things you have done each and everyday. Frigga deserved so much better than a man like you."

"And she deserved better than a son like you who would betray her realm and so viciously attack others. One who left her for power." Odin replied sharply.

Pain flashed through Loki's expression so quickly, it was hardly noticeable. Then it was replaced by stone hard coldness. Hena began to walk forward towards them, lips held together to stop them from shaking.

"Yes, she did." Loki growled savagely "She absolutely did. Because she didn't do anything to perpetuate that. But you have. And she's dead, Odin. I imagine it would be great relief for you to get rid of the _son_ " he spat the word like a curse "who tears down your great name now that she's not here. Why would you even wait until the year is up?"

" _You_ have made up the lies surrounding what happened and tangled them into a web around you." Odin replied, head up "You have woven them so tightly, no truth could ever undo them. I cannot unravel that for you. You will not accept the-"

 _"Tell me!"_ Loki snarled _"Tell me what I was to you!"_

"Quiet!" Odin commanded sharply, but he did not shout "After what has happened, we no longer need to have this conversation. Do what you were brought here to do. That is all that is required of you now." He turned around, clenching Gungnir in his right hand.

Loki's eyes blazed and he took several steps after the Allfather. Thor suddenly moved towards him quickly and the Asgardian soldiers guarding the scepter hurried forward. Almost immediately, the Anaheimien guards raised their own spears and swords at them after a loud order from Adden. The two groups were at a stand off. Volstagg stepped forward in shock, worried a fight would break out between them. Hena was there near Loki now, so those from Anaheim may have just been defending her, but it was not clear.

Thor stepped in front and grabbed his brother's arm to prevent him from following the Allfather. Only then did the other Avengers and Warriors see that Loki held a knife in his hand. He barely seemed to notice Thor, intent on Odin. Then Hena's hands pressed against his chest.

"Loki, don't!. Please, stop." she pleaded with him.

"Loki!" Thor snapped angrily, still having to hold his younger brother back. He was bewildered as to why the Allfather was not saying a word.

Odin had not turned around. There wasn't a way he had not sensed that he'd been in mortal danger. But he seemed to be purposefully looking the other way until the light of the Bifrost opened up to return him to Asgard.

Thor pried the dagger from Loki's hand and threw it to the side in disgust. Only then did he release his brother, eyeing him warily still. Odin had not done anything, so the God of Thunder didn't think it was his place. But he was still appalled at what he'd just had to prevent.

Hena trembled as she grasped Loki's lower arms.

"Loki, he cannot face you." she whispered "He cannot. Please, hear my words."

Finally, Loki dragged his narrow eyes away from the field and looked at her.

Thor pointed over at the Asgardian soldiers, signaling them to retreat now. It would do nothing but cause more trouble for them to do something the Allfather had not ordered. They did so, but slowly. Only then did the Anaheimien guards do the same.

Loki broke away from Hena's grasp, not wanting to unleash his anger on her, and walked away. Thor watched him silently, still drawing in steadying breaths. Hearing the depth of his younger brother's hurt had pierced him to the core.

But he was also angry. Loki had come so close to possibly convincing Odin of the good that was in him. It was ruined. He wouldn't look beyond what he thought was true.

He refused to see that he had been an invaluable member of their family.

* * *

It was now late evening and Loki still hadn't spoken to anyone, even Hena. He was in plain sight, but something about his demeanor warned them to stay away right now. The weak trust the Avengers had been beginning to form with him was essentially gone now. They were wary as ever, although Captain America did feel partially responsible for what had happened. Thor had told him it wasn't his fault, but that wasn't entirely true. As Loki had rightfully pointed out, nobody but the royal Anaheim family could read minds, so he may never have found out that Odin said a word without the soldier's slip.

Hena watched the God of Mischief with restless eyes. She was torn between going to offer company and leaving him to his thoughts. The latter had not always shown to be beneficial in the past, but she couldn't force him to forgive anyone.

Loki had made his bargain with Odin before her and her family had come to Midgard. He'd been certain that's what he wanted at the time. The argument had initially been about Loki feeling the king had treated their agreement as a trivial matter. If he'd listened to Odin tell Thor, he might feel differently.

Unfortunately, the words had led to another and neither of them were willing to admit fault.  
Loki's dagger was still in the field where it had been thrown aside. He'd left it there. He had plenty of others. Volstagg had initially nearly been spitting with rage at Loki's actions once the Allfather had left, but Fandral had talked him down. Now, all of them were in same position as Thor. Sorrow or anger.

Loki's face was still ice cold as he contemplated everything that had been said. Fury still burned inside. He stared out at the trees with narrowed eyes. Odin's departure didn't seem to have helped at all. It had been even more insulting. Thor wasn't sure how to interpret it. The king wasn't one to back down from an altercation, unless he found it meaningless. And maybe that was the answer. Every answer had been so contradictory.

"You have to let it go."

The words were said quietly, without any scorn. Loki didn't move, not even to look back.

Captain America held the discarded knife in his hand, slowly twisting the hilt so that it rotated shortly in his hand.

"You have to. Because holding onto it isn't going to change it." he said.

Loki's chin slowly went up, although his face wasn't observable.

"How old are you?" he asked plainly "Nearly one hundred? And you've lived maybe a third of of that?"

Captain America tilted his head, pausing to make sure he heard the rest of whatever the God of Mischief intended to say. Loki turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"You've been hurt and held grudges for things that seem so important in a span of thirty years." he said, his voice soft and angry "Now try imagining that spaced out into _centuries_. Don't tell me to let it go when you have absolutely no perspective on _anything_ that has occurred in my life."

"You're allowing it to take over your life." Captain America said.

"Again, name one thing similar about our lives. Open your own eyes before telling me to open mine." Loki replied, walking past him. Captain America held out the knife, face stoic. Loki looked down at it before lifting his eyes to the soldier's face.

"Keep it." he said "And go finish what I started."

He continued on his way, hands clenched in fists as he trekked back to the house. Captain America waited a moment, peering at the weapon with a shake of his head before following him.

Hena waited as Loki approached. Thor was nearby, but his face was a lot less receptive.

"I need to return to Anaheim." she said immediately once he was a few yards away.  
Loki stopped and stared at her, but he did not object to the wish. Thor's heart dropped. That was the last thing that his brother needed right now, but he wouldn't say so. Loki likely thought he'd driven her away.

"I will return tomorrow." Hena continued making Thor blink "But I need to go for now."

The God of Mischief's eyes flicked down and then up and he nodded at her.

Thor stepped closer to say something himself, but it appeared that she wasn't done.

Hena reached took one of each of the brother's hands. Loki scowled in confusion.

"Listen." she said lowly "I'm sorry."

There was a dull flash of light and both of Odin's sons jerked back their hands with a hiss of pain. The Warriors stared in shock as the two of them looked at their hands. Between their first finger and thumb was a small dark symbol. Loki looked up at Hena, eyes horrified.

She held up her hands, showing them that each one had a similar shape. They were both different, coordinating with the ones the brother's had on themselves.

"I have made a three way connection." she said "But it is not a link between our minds. This is a link between our lives, specifically me and each of you. If either of you die, I will die at the same moment."

Thor's eyes widened and Loki opened his mouth sharply, but Hena backed up.

"You might want to look out for each other right now." she said.

"Hena, that is _not_ funny. Remove this. _Now._ " Loki ordered angrily, stepping after her.

"You could spend all of your time trying to break it. Sooner or later I suspect you could. But it might just be easier to keep Thor alive." Hena replied, quickening her backward pace.

"Hena!" Loki hissed warningly.

"To keep you both from doing something rash." Hena said, dipping her head "I'll see you soon."  
With that, she was enveloped into a sudden bright light. Her father must have been waiting for her.

Loki stared, eyes wide in pure and utter disbelief. He looked down at the mark on his hand and then back at Thor.

* * *

Odin did not speak to Heimdall when he returned or to any of his guards on the way up to his chambers. He walked into the silent room, where the light was dimming. He looked over at the bed and the table where several books and brushes still remained. That side of the blankets was never disturbed anymore. The basin never filled. The curtains surrounding the windows opened only by servants.

It took several more moments for him to walk over to the balcony. There was a crash as Gungnir fell to the floor, forgotten.

"Frigga." he said softly "Forgive me."

 **Hi, I hope that was a good chapter for everyone. I poured my soul into that, so please review for me. :) Thank you so much. RemoraD, you asked for conflict. I mean, I already intended to do this, but hey, never hurts to ask!**


	30. A Desire for Remorse

**Hi! :)**

Hena was right about Loki. He'd done everything in his power to remove the bind she'd placed over him and Thor, nearly through the night and some into the morning. But he was not experienced in that area and it had failed each time. He hadn't included Thor in any of it, too angry to deal with him. He was outside now, obviously thinking of something deeply. Or having given up.

Thor, on the other hand, was constantly staring at the mark, feeling very burdened by what it symbolized. Hena had left to give them time to mull it over. Perhaps come to terms with it. But that didn't seem to be happening. Loki was seething with bitterness, both at Odin and now this spell.

Hena's guards were still here, which at least confirmed that she was returning at some point. The Asgardian soldiers had received a message from Heimdall just a few minutes before, although Thor didn't know that yet. Hawkeye was upstairs with Laura right now, but every else was in the living room. They were ready to get the missions to Anaheim's borders started, even though that wasn't going to happen for another week or so. No one had specifically stated that they wanted to go, but that was obviously what they had decided.

Tony let out a purposefully loud breath, making everyone assume he wanted to say something. He glanced up at all the eyes on him.

"What?"

"Yes, exactly, what?" Captain America turned it right back to him.

"Just clearing the throat." Tony replied, facing his board again "My, the scepter sure is very active today."

"Active?" that was Fandral.

"Yes, getting its exercise in." Tony said sarcastically "There's a lot more activity on the screen, you see that?" he waved his finger around to point at it.

"It's generating more energy." Banner replied curiously, walking over to him. If Hena or Mazi had been there, they might have assumed it was their power. But they weren't.

"I mean, these things do happen with things we don't know anything about." Tony said plainly "I read all about it in the books that don't exist. Oh, sorry." he bowed lightly to Thor "Probably on Asgard, not here."

"You're talking about increasing power?" Thor asked.

Tony tilted his head away, lips pressed together "How fast was that joke flying when it went over your head?" he turned back to the diagram of the scepter "Maybe all the tension is making it nervous, you never know."

Thor continued to stare at him with a small confused scowl before he had to switch his attention to the guard coming up to the house. He beckoned the man inside, allowing the subtle insult from Tony to pass.

The soldier stepped in, looking only at the prince.

"When shall we take Loki back to Asgard?" he asked.

Thor blinked, those words very unexpected. And rather unwelcome.

"Is he meant to return today?" he asked, sounding disconcerted. He supposed it had to happen eventually, but he was surprised at how much he hated the prospect. It would be very different after having fought alongside Loki again. Especially knowing how much prison had affected his younger brother the first time.

"Yes, Odin ordered Heimdall to have us do so when it is convenient." the guard replied with a dip of his head.

Thor sighed. The argument hadn't done well for either of his remaining family members. Odin angry and Loki more resentful than ever.

"Loki may be needed until we leave for Anaheim." he said slowly. Volstagg gave him a sympathetic look, knowing he was searching for something to delay the inevitable.

Now the guard's turn to look confused. Then it morphed to an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Prince Thor, you must not have been informed." he said.

"Of what?" Thor suddenly felt very nervous. Taking away Loki's life had been contemplated after his return from Midgard. He was now very aware of the panic his mother must have felt when Odin had decreed his brother be put to death. She'd lobbied fiercely for that not to happen. It had been granted, but Thor doubted it ever would be again.

"The king wants Loki looked over by Eir before the expeditions begin." the guard explained, unsure if he should be saying this if the older prince didn't already know.

Thor looked at the man, the surprise continuing. Eir was the royal healer. Of course, she did know Loki better than the others would, so it was only logical. But still, this was not like Odin at all.

"Do you know the reason why?" he asked.

The guard glanced out the window at the God of Mischief "Well, the king did not give a reason, but I believe it is clear that he needs attention. I am commonly stationed in the dungeon. Loki has seemed to decline severely these passing months."

Svleiva had said nearly the exact same thing. Thor felt vaguely confused for a moment. He was almost ashamed for not noticing anything when he first saw his brother. He could see that Loki was slighter, but he'd always been smaller in that way. Or so he thought he remembered. Odin must have seen something that was cause for concern. He was acting as if the argument had never happened. And that was what Thor thought was the strangest of all.

"I will send him with you once Hena returns." he said in response to the guard. The man nodded and turned away to leave.

"She is clever." Fandral commented, making the prince glance at him.

"Hena. What she did. This will deter Loki from doing anything." his friend pointed out.

"But her life is now in jeopardy." Thor said in frustration "And I don't want to be responsible for her death."

"Yeah, don't go thrill-seeking right now." Tony advised. Fandral only looked briefly at him.

"You will not be." he said to Thor "And Loki will see to that. This is the brilliance of her idea."

"Yes, but it won't help when he is inevitably put back in prison." Thor replied, that fact obviously being the primary concern for him.

"You're not at all worried about him being here now?" Captain America asked honestly.

The God of Thunder looked in his direction silently, then at the faces of the others in the room. They all held the same amount of wariness, even if some were not meeting his gaze.

"Yes, I am. But the argument was only between him and Odin. I am hopeful it will not interfere elsewhere." he said.

"Argument?" Banner asked with a small laugh as he shook his head "He might have killed your father if he'd been allowed to continue."

"I believe Hena is returning." Hogun broke in, raising his chin. He was watching Loki out the door. The God of Mischief now stood waiting expectantly.

Thor glanced at Banner with a small breath before walking over to go outside. He didn't have a way to respond. Captain America followed him very slowly. Volstagg sighed lightly as Thor went over to his brother.

"Loki, with this curse upon us..." he began.

"Stop." Loki growled, holding up one finger, eyes narrowed. Then he glared "If there was ever a time for you to use your newly found ability to think before you speak, do it now. I do not want to hear one word about this from you."

Thor scowled at him, rather shocked by this coldness for something that wasn't his fault.

"Because of this pathetic family's troubles, Hena's life is no longer just her own." Loki replied angrily "The only reason I haven't left you and your friends to go and explore Anaheim's borders is because I don't trust you not to do something pathetic and get yourself killed."

"I don't think I'm the one we need to worry about dying." Thor bit back.

"Who is it that has come back from the dead already?" Loki said coldly.

Thor glared back at him, but he just took a step back instead. He turned back to the house, jaw clenched. Captain America folded his arms as his friend joined him on the porch.

Loki waited silently, eyes on the field. It wasn't long before the familiar brightness forced them to look away. When they were able to look back, Hena had appeared in the field. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't look upset either.

Loki, on the other hand, tilted his head.

"Ah, you're back." he said, voice slightly scathing.

Hena raised her eyebrows in offense "And I might desire leave again." she walked past him, head up. Loki pivoted after her.

"Will you remove this bind now, please?" he asked steadily.

"No." Hena said, her tone calm.

"Hena, you departed and returned with no incident." Loki replied in frustration "Please remove it."

"No, not now."

Loki closed his eyes, obviously trying very hard to control his irritation.

"Hena." he said tightly.

"Please, Loki." she said, finally turning back to him wearily "Let this be for now. I am not going to reverse it."

He stared at her, eyebrows furrowed. He still had a lot more to say, but he refrained.

"How is Anaheim?" he asked instead, the forced concern obvious.

"There are still many passive invasions." Hena replied, looking relieved at his resignation "My parents remained concerned, but nothing has changed."

Even though she was very adamant in her words, she did not like to argue. With him or anyone else.

* * *

Tony frowned intensely at the screen in front of him. It was showing increasing energy from the scepter that went up slowly, but nevertheless, up. Even more unexpected was the fact that once Hena arrived, it had slowed tremendously. Banner was the only other person who really knew how to read what was going on, so it was not public knowledge yet.

Since Loki had mentioned that the scepter was likely to be enticing for them, everyone was extra aware of their feelings. And everytime someone went outside without an explanation, they were observed cautiously by the others.  
Banner pointed at something on the screen and murmured something under his breath to Tony. The billionaire shrugged in return, mouth bouncing down briefly to show that he wasn't too concerned.

Thor was unpleasantly surprised to see that Loki was even distancing Hena from himself. The two of them were outside talking to one another solemnly, but she appeared to have to pry more than usual. Yet, that still did not dissuade her.

"My father informed me that you are to be included when we explore the dark realms." she said, not caring if that was to remain private. From his expression, she could see that Loki was unconvinced. And that the wounds from yesterday were still very fresh today.

"And did he speak of this before or after Odin and I had our feud?" he asked crisply "After all, I had to have observed the unwillingness to forgive from some being."

Hena looked at him sorrowfully. She knew she would not be able to convince him now, but perhaps in time.

"A good heart rests in him, Loki." she said "A kind one. I have looked beyond his outward character."

"And seen his true thoughts, yes?" Loki asked "I trust you, Hena. You saw his ignorance? And his compulsion for manipulation?"

"Stop this." Hena said angrily. Then her tone softened to worry "He is doing what he thinks is right. But he does do it ignorantly, as you have said. Loki, I implore you to see that neither of you hold the moral high ground here."

He did not respond to her on that, continuing to stare at the ground with narrowed eyes.

"I know you have a reason to be hurt." Hena went on "I can see it. However, I do not believe that Odin or Thor ever meant you ill. You need to come to terms with this."

"No, Thor did mean to belittle me. I know he may not have meant as much as it seemed, but neither of them ever considered it to be mistreatment. And, in Odin's case, it was because he knew what I was. He treated me as he believed I should be."

Hena frowned, face dismayed. She hated how quickly the conversation returned to the dark and angry subject that made him so cold.

"Loki, your childhood was still filled with happiness."

"Yes, but it was a _lie._ And, even if those years were tolerable, the later ones were not." Loki replied.

"If Odin did not care for you, he would not have spared your life." Hena said. He glanced away from her, clearly peeved by her speaking of this.

"You can see my memories. Tell me what you see at the sentencing. He told me specifically that I was only alive because of my mother." he said "Not him. Never him."

"Yes, it was. Just because he will not say it, does not mean it is not true. You must see him as a man. He is not perfect. And he mourns for your mother just as you do. Have sympathy with him."

"You want me to share my grief with him?" Loki asked "Even if I was not in prison, I doubt I could do that."

"Yes you could. Because he was, and honestly still is, your father. You and him are more alike than you perceive." Hena said.

"Excluding the fact that I am Jotun and he is Aesir?" Loki asked, showing that he was not happy being compared with Odin.

"Does that matter?" Hena asked in distress that he still thought so.

"Yes. The realms see me as less, why should I not?" Loki replied "And yet, the demise of Jotunheim was so woefully protested."

"As it should have been!" Hena said with vehemence.

"I believe differently." he responded adamantly.

She looked at him with creased eyebrows and blinked.

"Then you would have allowed all of the frost giants to perish?" she asked.

"Yes." Loki said.

Hena retracted her head in pain, still gazing at him "Loki...you're a better man...than you think you are."

"Unfortunately not." he replied.

"Why would you think this? Why would you say this?" Hena asked in dismay.

"Because frost giants are _monsters_. That is what they are. They are evil."

"No, they are not evil. They may not be kind and compassionate at all times, but nor is any other race! Why do you see them as evil for things they have done in the past? Asgard conquered realms just as Jotunheim tried to do. Being evil is someone who deliberately and frequently only tries to do wrong."

"And haven't I done that?" Loki asked with a suddenly sharpness.

Hena's mouth trembled briefly "There is a reason my family did not come to Midgard and find you sitting on a throne above its inhabitants."

Loki looked at her, his face suddenly filled with shock as if he didn't believe what he had just heard.

"You're a good person. You have made mistakes." Hena said "But you cannot continue to try and be the monster you see yourself as because that is not who you are. You-" but Loki cut her off, looking betrayed.

"You know, I expected that from them." he said quietly "Just not from you."

Hena blinked several times, eyes startled. His face was so cold. So distant. He turned away to leave her.

"Loki." she said breathlessly. She walked after him "Loki, I wasn't mocking you. Loki!"

But he ignored her as he walked farther out into the field. She covered her mouth briefly, then lowered it back down. She swallowed and turned back around, allowing him to leave, despite the wetness forming at the bottom of her eyes. She closed them for a moment and then continued to walk towards the house.

Loki stopped many yards away, facing away from her. Hena glanced back once to see if he was looking back at her, but he was not. The fearful yet strangely numb feeling persisted in her stomach.

Fandral greeted her as she came in, but she barely acknowledged it. The Warrior frowned and glanced at Thor, but the prince had already seen.

"What is wrong?" he asked, looking at her in concern "What has happened?"

Hena shook her head briefly "Nothing. It's alright."

"Did you argue?" Thor maintained his directness. That was the last thing they needed.

"I..." Hena's voice shook "I said something to him I should not have. It's my fault."

Thor looked out at Loki, his worry heightening.

"Or perhaps he should be done causing others pain." Sif growled. Unfortunately, it looked as though several others agreed with her.

"It was my fault." Hena repeated "He is hurt, but he expresses it as anger."

Sif looked away in disgust, but she allowed the matter to drop.

"What has happened to the scepter?" Hena asked, lightly wiping the edge of her eye.

Tony and Banner looked up at each other.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Tony asked.

"It was extremely active when I arrived, but it is not any longer." she said "What did you do to temper it?"

"Funny, we were just going to mention that." Tony said, as if he had always intended to do so "Sudden spike in energy. Nothing to be too concerned with."

Captain America eyed him warily, but Hena just nodded.

* * *

"Dad, come over here!" Cooper demanded, beckoning his father impatiently.

"I will, just give me a moment." Hawkeye said, waving a hand at him. Both of his boys were attempting to play a simplified game of football, but it wasn't quite as fun without instruction.

Hawkeye had seemed to appear outside with his children. No one had heard him come down, but it wasn't hard to believe he had just wanted to go outside without being dragged into conversations with anyone. However, now he was watching Loki curiously.

It had been around an hour since Hena and him had gone their separate ways. She was standing near the scepter, inspecting it solemnly.

"So, you sensed its sudden excitement?" Tony asked from behind and she turned. He nodded at the scepter.

"Oh. Yes. It was quite different from when I left yesterday." she said, sounding distracted "But it seems to have returned to normal. Are you worried about it?"

Tony shrugged "Not unless I should be."

"These kind of artifacts are unpredictable. I don't think it is anything to be concerned with. I can ask my father if you would like." Hena offered.

"No, that is a-okay." Tony replied. She lightly smiled, but it vanished as she looked back out at Loki.

Nathaniel called over to his father this time, a scowl grazing his face. Hawkeye finally turned to go over to them. He sighed as they began to play, waiting for him to tell them what to do. When he did say something, though, Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Somebody tell Fury that Barton needs some time off. And ASAP. He has lost the basic rules of football to his job."

Hena looked over her shoulder, same as the other Asgardians. None of them were familiar with it, so they saw nothing wrong.

Unfortunately, the two boys were less impressed and complained to Hawkeye that they knew better. He held up his hands in surrender and turned around to leave.

Hena suddenly perked up as she noticed that Loki had turned around to come back over.

"Give up?" Tony called to Hawkeye, also watching Loki out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not really sure that game is worth playing." his friend replied. Tony scowled, half amused and half confused.

"Remind me to take you to a game. My treat. But you'll have to buy your own food. I don't have money for that."

"I wouldn't waste my time. You go enjoy yourself." Hawkeye replied.

Tony glanced at Captain America, mouthing something. The soldier shrugged.

Loki was just passing Hawkeye when the SHIELD agent spoke.

"Ready to go at it again?" he asked.

The God of Mischief slowed, head turned to the mortal, eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" he asked.

"You seem a bit ticked off. Better use that anger now. It's kinda useful sometimes." Hawkeye replied.

Hena rolled her eyes same as Tony had. These mortals were so clueless sometimes.

Loki's head tilted, almost as if he were interested in what Hawkeye had to say.

"Really? Care to share an experience?" he asked.

"Too many to count, but you can probably name a few." Hawkeye replied. Loki's face remained thoughtful as Cooper and Nathaniel came running up.

"We're going to play catch instead." the older boy said, obviously not willing to try football without proper guidance.

"Okay, have fun." their father said.

Cooper brought his head back "No, you come too."

"Me? I'm not very good. Maybe in a little bit." Hawkeye replied, waving them away.

"Talk about party...pooper." Tony said, mouth curved down. The God of Mischief and SHIELD agent were now the definite focus of his attention.

"It seems a shame to lose time with them." Loki said slowly, watching for a reaction from the mortal.

Hawkeye shrugged "They're good boys. They'll be alright."

Loki nodded carefully "And would you call them by name?"

The unexpected and rather random question made everyone pause. Now they all must looked bewildered at the awkward conversation between the two men.

"What do you mean?" Hawkeye asked with a scowl.

"What are their names?" Loki repeated.

"You're going to ask me my own children's names?" Hawkeye asked, as if that were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

"Certainly seems like it would be easy to answer." Loki responded.

"Yes, it is. Boys!" Hawkeye called suddenly, turning to his children "Shout out your names so that ill-informed Loki can hear it!"

Cooper and Nathaniel glanced at each other for a moment before doing what he said.

"You seem to have picked up an eloquent way of speaking." Loki said.

"Yes, I have spent a fair amount of time around you and Thor." Hawkeye reminded him "After all, you've been here for a while to protect helpless Earth. We're bound to adapt once in a while."

Captain America's eyes flicked up as if to find sense in what his fellow Avenger was saying. Then he returned his eyes to the scene, knowing that everyone else was doing the same.

"I see. Yes, we certainly are protecting helpless Earth, aren't we?" Loki asked carefully "Like the time I brought the frost giants to attack New York."

"Yes." Hawkeye said, trying to look stern.

Loki growled and rushed forward to shove the man brutally into the picnic table.

"Loki!" Thor yelled, running down the steps and going towards his brother, eyes wide. Tony, Captain America, every one of the Warriors, and Black Widow moved into defensive positions, weapons prepared for a fight.

"Don't!" Hena shouted at them.

Then they all stopped dead in shock as the air around Hawkeye shimmered, leaving Red Skull standing in his place. His face clenched in pain at the knife pressed at his throat, but his eyes gleamed.

"Are you really so ignorant that you don't even know what army I brought here?" Loki hissed down at him.

"Where's Hawkeye?" Captain America demanded, attention now directed at the mutant pinned down by Loki. Black Widow jerked a hand at Cooper and Nathaniel and they hurried over to her. She pointed to the house, saying something inaudible under her breath.

"That wasn't my affair." Red Skull said with a grin "I had no need to know the details."

"Where's Hawkeye?" Captain America repeated more sharply, walking forward slowly.

"Loki, do _not_ kill him!" Thor snapped, aware that the pressure of the blade was increasing.

"Yes, heavens knows that could be hazardous for you." Red Skull's voice was slightly strained.

There was a call of "Dad" from inside and Captain America looked back quickly. The distressed voice belonged to Nathaniel, who was staring as his father came quickly down the stairs. He must have heard the commotion from up there. That also explained why no one had seen him come down.

"There's the shining father." Red Skull jeered "I don't see yours, Prince Loki. He seems to have vacated the premises."

"When did he get here?" Hawkeye asked, fingers tapping warily on the bow he held in his hand. Like the others, he was fully armed.

"He was playing copy cat. And you were his twin." Tony replied.

"Loki, bring him here." Thor said, then lowered his voice "I want to converse with him this time."

"Taking orders from him, are you?" Red Skull asked in amusement "Hm, that might not be so good when Thanos arrives. I suppose it's time to ruin the surprise."

Loki suddenly released him, taking a step back in disbelief. Red Skull smiled, but he stayed where he was.

"Loki, what are you doing?" Captain America demanded. He slowly began to walk closer, shield resting in front of him. The God of Mischief was between them and Red Skull, so unless they moved quickly, they didn't have a shot.

"What?" Loki wasn't speaking to Captain America. His stared intently at the man in front of him.

"Thanos. He's coming. Here." Red Skull almost looked as if he couldn't contain laughter at the Jotun's shock "But not to kill you. No, not the punishment you expect for failing him. He comes to welcome you back. You're still quite useful to us, Loki."

The God of Mischief, usually so clever with words, could think of nothing to say. He just stared. Hena whipped around to look at the scepter as it began to pulse rapidly. The small explosions of energy were fairly deafening to those around it.

"He's coming to remind you who you really are. And to whom you truly belong. Who deserves your allegiance. It's certainly not Odin." Red Skull stepped back away from the table.

"Do not move!" Thor ordered, hammer raised just as the former mortal stepped into partial view of him. He was under the impression that Loki was still guarding him.

"We'll meet again soon, Loki." Red Skull said, ignoring the God of Thunder even though he could hardly hear him. Loki looked up suddenly, seeing something nobody else could. Red Skull backed up, each half of his body disappearing as if he stepped through a door.

Hawkeye lowered his raised bow immediately, eyebrows knitted as he scanned the area quickly. The scepter fell still, allowing them to hear each other again.

"You let him get away?" Captain America exclaimed at the God of Mischief.

Loki slowly turned around, eyes unfocused. Then, they landed on the scepter. The blue orb was festering on the stand.

"Hena, get away from there." he said, voice getting urgent at the end, eyes slowly growing wide. He started running towards her "Get away from the-"

Hena looked back at him just as the scepter imploded violently on itself. Then it released the energy out in a massive wave, sending everyone around it flying back. The Asgardian barrier did nothing to prevent this, having only been set up to dissuade invaders. The residual ripples continued to push the air away from the scepter as its strength gradually receded.

There was a faint ringing in the air until it let all of the power drop with an odd sucking noise.

Thor grunted and raised a hand to wipe dust from his eyes. He sat up, blinking to clear the humming in his ears. It took him a moment to focus on anything happening in front of him. Captain America, Tony and Hawkeye were moving same as him, but Black Widow and Banner were not. Behind him, only Volstagg and Hogun out of the four Warriors were getting to their feet. Everyone who had been closest to the explosion was unmoving.

Thor looked over at the field and then stood up. His face was wary as he gazed at the unfamiliar group of creatures in front of him. Red Skull was there, but he stood next to a very large, powerful-looking being. He had purple skin clad in golden armor and red eyes that had no discernible pupils to them. The skin under his mouth was broken up into ridges that lengthened when he smiled. Thor had never seen him before, but he had no doubts about who this was.

Four tall, ugly creatures surrounded him. They had gray skin, a spindly body with fingers that were longer than their hands, and horribly black eyes.

"Hail the Almighty Thanos." Red Skull said, holding out a hand to the largest of them all.

Thor lifted his hammer angrily at the name, ready to fight. His friends did the same instinctively. Thanos looked down at the long-fingered creatures casually and they lifted their hands towards the defensive group. Immediately, Thor felt paralyzed. His arm was slowly being lowered back down to his side without his consent. Mjolnir dropped to the ground. Not because they interfered with the hammer, but because Thor didn't have any ability to hold it at that moment. He struggled against the invisible chains, but the was no physical movement to show that.

"I was hoping for a little bit more of a welcome." Thanos said, gazing at all of them "I can see I've been expected."

Thor tried to look at his friends, but even his neck could move. From the corner of his eye, he saw that none of his conscious friends could heed their own bodies either. Except Loki. His brother very slowly got to his feet, chin raised as he faced the titan. He'd been on the ground by Hena, but now he walked forward to stand by Thor, clearly able to move without any trouble.

"Loki." Thanos said, almost as if greeting a friend. But it just made Thor feel even more chilled.

Captain America was straining hard, convinced he could move if he willed it hard enough. Standing still, it was as if everything was normal. But movement made it feel like cords were wrapped around them.

The God of Mischief didn't say anything in return. He just continued to stare warily.

"I've been waiting for this reunion for a long time." Thanos said, which could have been taken menacingly.

"You should not send others to do it for you." Loki replied, giving Red Skull a hateful look. The man just grinned at him.

"The job of gathering recruits is not one I usually oversee. But getting to know Midgard might not be a disadvantage. And I am here to bring you home. A better home than Asgard ever was. Odin treated you as a servant, but that is his loss and his loss only. I am here to welcome you back as a king." Thanos said.

Thor was visibly shaking as he clenched his jaw and glared. Loki's eyes showed anger.

"Then, you saw." he said bitterly.

"I heard enough of what he said to you." Thanos replied "Rid yourself of the House of Odin, Loki. Take away the one thing he loves." he reached into his plated armor and removed a knife. He tossed it right at the God's feet, the blade sinking into the ground.

"Kill Thor. And make yourself the only heir to the throne of Asgard. You should have done this right off when you attacked Midgard. As we suggested."

There was only silence after that, as no one was able to protest. Loki slowly leaned and picked up the dagger, eyes narrowed. Thor fought to move, trying to look at his younger brother. He didn't look scared, but his expression offered a fierce challenge. The Jotun fingered the knife.

"As...satisfying as that would be." he said "I cannot." he gestured at Thor's hand "Hena Anaheim has forged a connected between their lives. If Thor dies, she dies."

Thanos brought his head back, regarding him thoughtfully. Apparently he was well aware of who Hena was.

"Smart girl." he said quietly, very faintly smiling "Then we'd best keep him alive for now."

Red Skull left his side and began walking towards the scepter. Loki didn't move, allowing him to do so, but his eyes followed him every second. This was what tipped Captain America over the edge. Hydra's former leader looked pleased as he brought the dark weapon to Thanos and handed it over. The God of Death then looked at Loki dead on. He held out the scepter, its blue orb swirling lightly.

Thor watched, having no way to intervene or say anything as his brother contemplated the offer. He mentally begged Hena to wake up, if only to shake some sense in him.

But the last thing the silvertongue and her had done was fight. Just like his father.

Loki's eyes narrowed and he looked at Thanos coldly.

"I get to kill Odin." he said.

Thanos' mouth curved up slightly "I think we can arrange that. You may take as long as you like."

Loki nodded, turned back to Hena and bent down. He eased his hands under her and picked her up. She dangled from his arms as he walked in front of the group he'd turned his back on.

Thanos held out a hand to Red Skull, making the God of Mischief pause, back tensed rather threateningly.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands." Red Skull said, with no small amount of mocking.

But instead, one of the other creatures take Hena from Loki, leaving the former mortal with a sneer on his face.

Thor stared with both anger and horror as his brother then knelt to the ground on one knee, head raised. He slowly drew one hand over his chest. The pledge of unyielding loyalty. To anyone else, the scene would have appeared as though the Avengers were just watching this scene play out. But, truth be told, all of them were fighting to the best of their ability.

With one hand, Thanos set the scepter into Loki's hands.

"You'll be a king yet again." he said "But, until then, wield this. I sense it has missed your touch."

Loki said nothing, but he rose from his position, the weapon now held in one hand.

"Bring them, and secure them in our prison. They may be useful yet." Thanos said, looking at the group in front of him. He looked at the scepter and Loki waved it briefly. It's raw power could be felt even by Thor, who was usually ignorant of such things. The implication that the scepter would be used against them as it had been used against Hawkeye was horribly apprehensive.

"While we speak of usefulness," Loki said from his spot ready to leave Midgard "There are three children and a woman inside. Bring them with us."

Hawkeye's face morphed to one of unspeakable anger as Thanos looked over. He gestured with one wave of his hand that Red Skull was to retrieve them.

"Who is the father?" he asked. This indicated that it had been Red Skull's idea and Red Skull's only to impersonate one of the Avengers.

Loki pointed the scepter at Hawkeye, his expression giving away no remorse.

"And, him," he said, shifting his point to Banner, who still lay unconscious on the ground "Keep him well sedated. Or he will likely cause you trouble."

"The mortal that very near becomes indestructible." Thanos said, as if he already knew.

Red Skull stopped below the porch, hands tucked behind his back.

"Shall we burn the house?" he asked, his smile indicating that he had a specific answer in mind.

"No." Thanos replied, looking very thoughtful "I would prefer Asgard were not aware there was an abduction when they first arrive here. Leave no residue of violence."

"I trust Heimdall's sight has been restricted." Loki said.

"Yes, very much so." Thanos replied "When we leave, your skills will be helpful with preventing immediate detection."

Loki turned back to the house and lifted one hand, as if nothing more needed to be said.  
Images of everyone who'd been at the house appeared instantly, going about their daily business without much difference.

Thanos nodded in satisfaction.

"I sense a better era coming." he said.

 **Please review and bye! :)**


	31. Bitter Revenge

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews :) Made me wanna update faster for you!**

Thor didn't know why he couldn't call Mjolnir.

The hammer had been left on Earth, as of the invaders could have picked it up. But his ability to summon his weapon had somehow been hindered.

Every one of them that was conscious was being pulled along by the same beings who had come with Thanos to Midgard. Except Banner, who had been taken somewhere else as soon as they had stepped through the portal to this place. Same as Laura and the children.

Thor looked around at his surroundings, hands chained together tightly as he walked in line with the others. They had entered a massive building from a land of utter waste. There were remains of dead creatures outside everywhere. The place that could only have been Thanos' main base. The doors operated similarly to how Midgardian automatic doors worked, but they opened diagonally to allow passage.

In front of them was a long hallway. The walls were solid black and silver metal, meaning the only way out was through an exit. The ceiling went about five feet above Thor's head.

Each of them had been stripped of any and all weapons upon arrival. As soon as they'd felt any sort of ability to physically move, chaos had followed. Captain America had been first to try and attack, but the invisible binding had returned very quickly. All of them had fought tooth and nail to break free, but it had gotten them nowhere. After that, they'd been bound by chains that extended out far enough to be held by two guards. The guards looked exactly like the Chitari they'd fought on Earth. They probably were.

Thor had never heard of beings that could restrict movement as completely as the ones that did so to them now. But he'd always heard of creatures that so fully immersed themselves in the dark magic arts that they could control nearly everything they learned. However, such education came with a high price. It rendered them servants of the dark. To the point where they lost sentience. He suspected that's what these were.

Thanos, Red Skull, and Loki were nowhere to be seen, but the ugly creatures were still here with them. They restricted every muscle that was not necessary for walking. So, the group went along silently, not even able to show that they objected.

Hawkeye looked the angriest out of all of them. His face was pressed into a dark scowl. By that expression, there was no doubt he would probably kill the next person who got into his way.

Eventually, they were taken into what Thor could only guess was a magically sealed cage. It had bars on one side that others could look in on them through. There were several others just like it, occupied by much more evil looking creatures inside.

Once inside, all of them were visibly released. Thor turned and hit the bars angrily, glaring at their retreating captors. But their guards didn't respond to that in any manner.

Hawkeye knelt down by Natasha, checking her pulse and looking over her for injuries. She didn't seem to have any, which was odd because she'd been so close to the explosion.

"What are those things?" Captain America demanded, letting loose all of emotion he hadn't been able to.

Thor turned away from the view with disgust on his face. He took a few breaths to steady himself. All of his Asgardian friends had already been roused before arriving here and they were looking at him to answer.

"There are some beings that become servants to dark power. They submit themselves to it. That is what I suspect these are." he said, his voice taut "They're rare because doing what they do renders one incapable of thinking for themselves. But they have magical abilities that are hard to achieve otherwise."

"Like physically controlling people?" Tony asked, shaking out one arm as if wanting to make sure he could still move it.

"Dammit!" Hawkeye hissed, standing up abruptly from Black Widow "All we had to do was place a little faith in Loki and he left us in the dust! No, he _buried_ us in the dust."

Thor glanced away at the ground. He felt just as frustrated, but it was hard not being able to justify his brother this time.

"If he so much as touches any one of my family, I swear I'll burn him alive." Hawkeye said furiously.

Everyone of the mortals muttered agreement. Thor stayed silent, but there was not a protest to their threats. Captain America walked over to the bars that held them in. Nothing showed that it was anything other than the metal slats, but he could touch it like a wall.

"Thor, is there anyway that your father would be able to find us here?" he asked, turning back to the God of Thunder intently.

"If Heimdall cannot see us, then Odin cannot find us." Thor replied grimly "We did not know Loki was here for the two years he was gone. He cannot see into this part of the realms."

"What about Valder and Svleiva?" Volstagg said immediately, sounding slightly eager "They will know that Hena is no longer on Earth."

"They cannot look to Earth as Heimdall can." Thor replied, unhappy to respond negatively again.

"But, if they cannot communicate with Hena, they will know something is wrong."

Thor hesistated a moment before nodding. He would have responded, but a faint scream that held for several moments made him pause.

"Well, then it needs to be fast." Hawkeye said "My children are here. Loki gave up my _kids_." he kicked the wall angrily, turning away from his friends beside him. He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously.

"They should have been brought here with us. Where would they have taken them?" Volstagg asked.

"I'm sure they were taken to the cells for 'useful' people." Hawkeye replied bitterly, quoting the words from Thanos and Loki.

"That means they are safe though." Fandral said hopefully.

"Yes, until they decide to use them against me. Until they decide they want to get into SHIELD without being caught." Hawkeye snapped "This is why they were never known to anyone but me and a few select people."

"But, come on guys, who have we been preparing for this whole time?" Tony asked, trying to pacify his friend. Even he sounded impatient "Who, huh? The jackasses who just brought us here. Asgard is bound to suspect them, okay?"

"No one in Asgard can travel here if Heimdall cannot see." Sif said, in a harsher tone because she felt that had already been made clear "It is impossible. Unless it is within the Nine Realms, he has to be able to see where he is opening the Bifrost."

"I'm sorry I'm not aware of your Viking systems." Tony said sarcastically. Sif bristled at that.

"Are we going to start a feud while we stand in a prison together?" Volstagg asked in frustration.

"No, we aren't." Captain America said definitively. His calmer voice immediately hushed the group. He glanced down at the ground "Clint, I'm sorry about your family. But for now, we can only assume they are okay."

"Why?" Hawkeye asked, clearly very skeptical.

"Because we don't have any evidence that they aren't." Captain America replied.

"But, again, Thor, even if your father can't get here, _some_ realm is bound to be able to." Tony said, attention on the Asgardian prince "And Anaheim could help too."

"Loki created illusions of us." Hogun said quietly "They may not see through that for a while."

Thor heaved a breath "Unfortunately, Hogun is correct. We don't know if Valder will notice that Hena is not communicating with him. And Thanos made it clear that they were going to leave it as if nothing had happened."

* * *

There was nothing for them to do but wait in the small space they had been given. They had watched as more people were brought in and put in cells just like them. Most of the newcomers were being dragged against their will. Some had been severely wounded when they were brought and were no longer moving in their cells. None appeared to have been magically restrained like Thor and the rest of them. At first, everyone had been distressed by the creatures and people essentially being left to suffer and die, but they'd become almost resigned after many hours of it.

Black Widow still had not woken up, which was concerning. However, she was the only mortal with them that had been knocked out by the scepter. Sif and Fandral had not taken long to wake up, but they didn't have any idea if Banner was the same.

No one looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps from down one of the halls. Too often it was the same. But after a moment, Thor glanced up, then did a shocked double take.

"Loki?" he demanded.

That got everyone's attention immediately.  
Red Skull and Loki were indeed in the same room as them now. Neither of the two of them looked over at the call. They were speaking quietly together. Several of the Chitari-like creatures stood behind Loki, but all Thor could see was the glowing scepter in his brother's hand. The orb looked so calm compared to how he had last seen it. Almost as if more comfortable.

"Loki!" Thor snapped out at him. Red Skull's eyes flicked briefly over, but Loki did not even acknowledge his voice.

Hawkeye joined him up by the bars, expression hateful. He waited silently as the two men finished whatever conversation they were having. As they turned to leave, Thor hit the wall of their cage with a clang.

"Loki, face me!" he snarled.

Red Skull paused by the hall opposite to the one they had entered. He watched expectantly as Loki finally turned around. The God of Mischief cocked his head, almost as if he had just realized they were there. He walked over, his mouth lightly curved in a cold greeting. Thor waited until his brother was right by the barrier.

"Loki, what have you done?" he said in a furious whisper. His brother's expression did not waver.

"I am not sure what you mean." he replied.

Thor glared at him "You were right on the edge of convincing father that you could change from what you were. I pleaded on your behalf. I told Odin that you could be trusted. I-"

"Well, how honored should I be?" Loki asked, handing pressing to his chest mockingly. The scepter waved lightly "Now, let me ask you a return question. What choice did Odin give me? Obviously I was cast out as a member of his family. Nothing was going to change about my fate on Asgard. Not in the way there was for you on Midgard. So, even if I so deeply desired to be his servant again, what option did I have but to leave? Perhaps Odin should have thought this through."

"Where is my family?" Hawkeye half-spat at him. Loki raised the scepter so that the tip hovered near the mortal's chest.

"You may want to reconsider your position here, Barton." he said coldly.

"I will rip you apart if any of them are hurt." Hawkeye replied, glaring.

"I would be wary of the threats you call to befall me. They may just be carried out on your beloved family waiting so diligently to be rescued." Loki said "And who better to have carry out these threats than the father? No, I think you'd best step back before your words lead to their deaths."

Thor peered at his brother warily, hating the cruel words that came out of his mouth. Loki waited, eyes boring warningly into the mortal.  
With narrowed eyes, Hawkeye stood his ground for several moments before retreating.

"You would never harm them." Thor said with quiet anger.

"You seem to assume a lot of things about me." Loki looked amused "And that might very well be your downfall, Prince Thor. Too gullible. Too trusting."

"At least he isn't a murderous barbarian." Sif said. Loki rolled his eyes without looking at her.

"I trusted you because you showed that you could be." Thor replied.

"And...what came of that?" Loki asked slowly.  
Thor slammed a fist into the wall.

"So what is your intention? Lead armies to take over Midgard while we wallow in this cage?"

"Midgard is the least of our worries." Loki replied, smiling lightly.

Red Skull glanced down the hall he was waiting by, hearing something the others were too far away to notice.

"Loki, He calls." he said, smug at the idea that he was pulling him away from his brother.

"What then? Anaheim?" Thor asked, ignoring the ugly mutant's beckoning "Will you ruin them as you attempted to ruin Midgard?"

"Goodbye, Thor." Loki replied, stepping away from the bars.

"Don't do this." Thor said quietly, shaking his head anxiously.

"You do not command me any longer." Loki replied "Relieve yourself of that duty and I'm sure you'll find that you're much happier."

"And what will happen when you are confronted by Valder?" Thor spat as his brother walked away "Will you kill him? After everything he has said and done for you?"

"If he gets in the way, then yes." Loki responded, looking back once at him.

"Then what of Mazi? Will you let them kill her or will you kill her yourself?" Thor demanded. The God of Mischief didn't say anything in response, but Red Skull sneered in his direction.

"We are brothers, Loki." Thor said sharply.

"I am not your brother." Loki retorted coldly, giving him a glare. Thor watched as they left, breathing quickly as he steadied his emotions. He spat out a breath, showing his frustration and hurt. Volstagg slowly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If he is willing to kill even Valder to get what he wants, then he is truly lost." Fandral said.

Thor's eyes briefly followed the Chitari guard as he walked past "If we can get word to Hena, she can call her father here. Perhaps he can send for help."

He evaded replying to his friend's claim directly, but no one had time to dwell on that as the door to their confines opened up. Again, the horrible sense of tightening around their upper bodies came upon them all. Three of the darkness-infused creatures were waiting outside. It seemed that was the number needed to control so many of them.

The Chitari guards walked in silently, leaving the others outside as they took the chains hooked to the prisoners' wrists. Thor's jaw clenched and not because the enchantments made it so. He followed them when they pulled. He had no idea where they were heading, but without more people with them, there was no way they were going to be able to get away from these guards.

They were herded down the same hall that Loki and Red Skull had gone down, but the two of Thanos' followers were nowhere to be seen. They continued down the hall until they could no longer hear any of the sounds from their previous room. It became eerily silent except for the sound of their footsteps.

The hall widened near the end, making each of the Avengers and Warriors look around their surroundings. There were large doors along the sides that made them all realize this was their intended destination. These looked more like permanent cells than their other one had.  
One of the guards placed their hand on the door and waited. Then, by itself the door slid open. Nothing about it was electronic.

Thor blinked in surprise as Hena lifted her head to look up at them. She stood back by the far wall, eyes wide as she watched them be herded in. She did not approach the open door, as if she knew it would be in vain.

Once they were in and the exit closed, all of them were released. Thor moved his arms angrily, mad at the restriction.

Hena stared at them, looking very scared.

"Where's Loki?" she asked quietly.

* * *

"This cannot be what is seems." Hena said with irritated desperation "I could see his aura. I saw some of his thoughts."

"Did you see when he carried you by Thanos' side?" Captain America asked, his face honest "And gave up Hawkeye's family?"

Fandral tilted his head at her, scowling, but it was Volstagg who spoke.

"I do not understand why you are here." he said "With us."

"This room is magically sealed." Hena replied grimly "Some of the others are not."

"But I assumed Loki would have taken you somewhere else." Volstagg still eyed her warily, as if worried she was not as trustworthy all of the sudden.

Hena glanced down, blinking multiple times. She swallowed lightly.

"Loki and I fought before this happened. And he took my words to mean I was aligned with Odin. And...that he was weak. But that was not what I ever intended nor believed. He just doesn't understand that I can see both sides. I phrased it poorly." she shook her head, pressing her lips together "I'm scared that I pushed him away. This is my fault. I should never have said what I did."

"It's not your fault, Hena. No more than mine." Thor replied.

"And you both blame yourselves for what _he's_ done?" Sif asked "That is madness. He chose to follow one Loki _knows_ is trying to destroy the realms he is meant to defend."

"Thanos caters to his every doubt." Thor told her sharply. He was just as furious with Loki as she was, but he was tired of her constant attacks on his brother. However correct she seemed.

"That does not mean he is justified." Sif said angrily, finally not backing down at his rebuke.

"No, it does not. I know this. And I would see him punished as he deserves, but I want to attempt to see more than what is apparent." Thor replied.

Hena looked in between them, eyes worried.

"Do you recall when I told you Loki was not able to make his own choices at all times?" she asked the group.

"To hell with that. I don't care what you say, no one was influencing him when he turned his back on us." for the first time, it was Tony who reprimanded her.

"He may-"

"No! No, Hena, he chose to bring us here and he chose to bring _you_ here! He doesn't care and he isn't doing this because Thanos is making him!" Hawkeye snapped at her.

Hena turned away from them. With one hand raised to her face, she walked to the farther edge of the cell. Hawkeye glanced down, anger dissipating as she left. Volstagg, out of all of them, walked after her. Fandral wouldn't have been far behind.

She didn't turn to look as the large Warrior stopped beside her, putting one hand on her arm. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, but she finally looked back, chin raised.

"Loki is a good person. I don't give a _damn_ if you say otherwise because I know this." she said "You saw his kindness on Midgard. He has been hurt by Odin and sees this as a chance to escape what would be his fate otherwise. I see what everyone here can remember. Thanos treats Loki as an equal. As a king. As someone who is good enough just being who and what he is. If this had been shown to him all along, he would never have turned. No, you're right, I should not blame myself. The blame falls to all of you. I always accepted Loki for being a frost giant and for all of his mistakes. You never have. So, now you may reap what you have done."

Hawkeye let out a deep breath as Hena returned to her position silently. He paused for a moment, considering his words.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly "This isn't any easier for you than it is for us."

"You have your wife and children here. I can understand your fears, but we can't hurt each other. Thanos will use this to his advantage any way that he can." Hena replied, eyes squinted in an effort to prevent any tears.

"Can you speak to Loki?" Fandral asked gently.

"I have tried. He does not reciprocate it." Hena responded "But I cannot be sure that he hears me. My communicative powers have been suppressed. And, yes, no one else is aware that I can speak to others minds, so it would have to be Loki doing it. He does not want me to summon my parents here."

"Can you reach them at all?" Captain America asked.

"No, but I will attempt to do it frequently." Hena blinked slowly and then glanced back at Black Widow "She is being kept unconscious by a spell. I thought you should be aware. I can try to rouse her from it, if you would like."

"Please." Hawkeye beckoned her down to his friend.


	32. The Long Wait

They'd discovered that their room was completely dark. They couldn't even see their hands a few inches from their faces. The only reason it had been lit when they arrived was because Hena was creating light herself. She'd shown them that when she dimmed it.

They had no idea how long it had been since they'd been placed in prison. They guessed a day, but it was impossible to know. And Tony had pointed out that when they were confined, people tended to overestimate the time that had passed.

They'd taken turns keeping watch, even though they didn't need to worry about anyone within the room. All of them were paranoid about someone coming into their cell unexpectedly. Hena had stayed awake for the longest period of time, trying to talk to both Loki and her father. With Loki, it seemed as though the connection was just weak, but with her father it was as though her thoughts were hitting a wall and returning to her.

The place had already gotten to Hawkeye pretty badly. There were random screams that sounded as though someone was in severe pain. Something that was easily imaginable in this dark realm. And they never adapted to that.

The thing that scared Hawkeye the most was the fact that some of them sounded like children. They didn't sound like his kids, but that didn't matter. Fortunately, Black Widow was fully awake and aware now. She was of some help to him.

"I've just realized something." Volstagg said, eyes wide at the ground.

"What?" Thor asked, his voice suggesting he wasn't really expecting much. He didn't even raise his head.

"Both Asgard and Anaheim had guards on Midgard." his friend said eagerly "They switched out each day. Odin is bound to notice that they haven't returned."

After a moment to ponder this, several of them perked up hopefully. That is, until Tony spoke.

"But doesn't Loki know this?" he asked "He wouldn't overlook that."

"Where _are_ the guards?" Hawkeye leaned forward pointedly.

There was a grim silence between all of them after he asked the question. Everyone in the cell, other than Black Widow, had something that Thanos or anyone else could exploit. Hawkeye had his children and the others were either immortal, or had some special ability. But the guards, even though they were likewise immortal, did not have anything to offer these dark beings. It would not be irrational to think they'd been executed.

"I...believe there could be two answers to that." Hena said hesitantly "And one is more likely than the other."

"Tell us." Thor prompted with a urging nod.

She took a deep breath, reluctant to say what she thought.

"They could be dead, but Loki has the scepter, yes? They're more useful alive than dead. To continue the deception, he would want the guards to return unharmed. So, all Thanos would have to do is take control of their minds and send them back. This would reinforce the idea that everything is as it should be on Midgard."

She continued to stare at them nervously. Thor sighed, realizing she was probably right. He was glad no one spoke of Loki to her this time. Even though the hatred in the room was obvious, they remained silent.

"He's not responding?" Fandral asked.

Hena shook her head quickly, eyes low "No."

"Heimdall would have been able to tell, wouldn't he?" Sif asked.

"Not if Loki ordered them to act as though nothing had happened." Volstagg answered her.

Hena closed her eyes as if concentrating hard suddenly. Thor glanced at her, but continued to listen to the others. She breathed deeply for a moment.

"Is it Loki?" Thor asked, cutting off Hawkeye. He stared at Hena intensely. She opened her eyes.

"No." she said with a sigh at their incessant asking "But, I just remembered this." she held up her hand, making sure that the mark between her thumb and first finger was very visible.

"Just barely?" Tony asked with dry amusement "Thor's done nothing but think about it since it happened."

Hena looked at the God of Thunder, but her face was distracted "I can use it."

"Do you mean so that they don't kill Loki or me?" he asked.

She shook her head and then paused as if that were also true.

"Yes, that is a another way. But this spell puts my life in danger and as such, there is a way to monitor those I burden with it."

Thor tilted his head, interest sparking in his gaze.

"What do you mean by monitor?" he asked "Can you see Loki now?"

"I have never tried it." Hena replied nervously "I'm afraid it will fail. That would suggest that my powers are more inhibited than I thought."

"Try now then." Fandral said earnestly "It would be best to know if your powers are inhibited anyway, yes?"

Hena hesistated and them nodded "Yes. Yes, I suppose you are correct. This scares me. I have never been in this situation before."

Fandral would have been the one to comfort her, but she just turned, eyes closing as she concentrated again. They waited for several moments, all focusing on her. Then they realized there would be nothing to watch and relaxed slightly.

However, Hena opened her eyes quickly and an image appeared around two feet in front of her. Tony and Captain America, who were closest, stepped away in surprise. The imagine made it seem like the people in it were actually within the cell.

Loki was flanked by two of his guards. They were almost a mix of the the ones in New York and the ones fighting for the scepter. They could only see the God's back, but he held the scepter in his hand. He looked to be surveying something front of him. Hena narrowed her eyes as she attempted to see. It moved forward slightly so that she could view the distance.  
Prisoners were being moved into cages similar to the one they had been in.

Loki was giving gestures every once in a while, telling the guards where to place them. He almost seemed to be sorting them into groups. Men, women, children, small creatures, and ones so large it took a whole group of guards to control it. The most disturbing thing was probably his lack of reaction as people begged with the Chitari.

Hena watched, shoulders tense as if she was not expecting what she saw. Or wished it was not in front of her.

Women and children were ripped from each other, leaving them screaming and crying for one another. Thor stared with a deep scowl. Fights would break out, but the guards would break it up almost immediately, not worried about how much they injured the prisoners. Hawkeye looked down as a woman was brutally thrown to the ground, away from a girl even younger than Nathaniel.

Loki was watching this in particular, but then he turned, startling everyone. He was responding to something behind him. Hena instinctively brought a hand towards her mouth.

His eyes terrified her. The dark, shrunken marks around them were clearly visible. They were cold, as if having been tainted by the horrific things going on around him. His skin, usually more pale, had become almost gray. He waited with a narrowed gaze.

Red Skull must have been the one to alert Loki because he walked into the image.

Captain America flinched angrily just as he always did at the sight of the man.

"We have a group leaving for Zener within the hour." Red Skull said to Loki, unaware that he was being observed by those in the cell. He stepped away, implying that the God of Mischief was to follow him.

"For someone who hates this guy so damn much, he certainly seems to enjoy his company." Tony muttered. He shook his head briefly at the pair of them.

"I may join." Red Skull continued "Would you care to?"

"What does Thanos want there?" Loki asked, with a slight curiosity in his voice.

"Just less people to deal with once he claims leadership." Red Skull replied "He isn't concerned with a takeover."

They walked down the hall and entered a room filled with ships ready to depart. Another unknown creature approached them, hands behind his back.

"We're ready Red Skull. What is our destination?"

"Zener." the mutant responded "Kill everyone there."

"There are likely to be children." there was no emotion as the dark mercenary pointed this out.

"Then kill them in sight of their mothers." Red Skull answered slowly and irritably "I should not have to instruct you in every aspect of this mission." he turned to Loki "Perhaps you should go instead of me. After all, you have yet to look a child in the eye and take their life. If you don't go now, Thanos should save the ones we took from Earth when we came for you. That might be the best way to get rid of them."

"You want to get rid of one of our most interesting advantages?" Loki asked, almost as if slightly amused with Red Skull. He turned to leave. But the former mortal followed him so Loki continued "Thanos has not informed you of what we have planned for their home, has he?"

"I know that Midgard is just to be destroyed. I suspect you will be leading that." Red Skull said.

"I know I will." Loki maintained.

They returned down the hallway they had come from. At this point, Hawkeye's blood was clearly boiling.

"We should stop." Hena said worriedly, ready to drop the image.

"No, not yet. We may hear some of their plans." Captain America halted her. She inhaled deeply, allowing it to continue.

The hallway Thanos' servants were in slowly got quiet as they headed deeper down one way. They left the guards, the prisoners, and everything behind as they approached a different corridor.

"If you really desire a way to get revenge on Thor," Red Skull said, making Loki stop in his tracks. He looked over and the two of them stared at each other in the narrow hall.

"We have pinpointed Jane Foster's location." the mutant held out a piece of paper to Loki.  
Thor's eyes widened.

The God of Mischief eyed the picture warily.

"That would be a lovely way to hurt him, wouldn't you say?" Red Skull went on, expecting a confirmation "The options are endless. Kill her or keep her for yourself. I mean, I know you're not one to take advantage of a woman, but...who is to say? Bring her back here and let him wonder."

"They're not in love any longer." Loki replied coolly.

"That doesn't matter." Red Skull said with a smile.

So, after a moment more of careful consideration, Loki reached and accepted the picture.

"Thank you." he said, flicking his hand and allowing it to fade with a green shimmer. Red Skull nodded slightly and continued past him.

Then, the image dissipated. Everyone looked at Hena, who was just continued to stare at the cell wall.

"Do you see now?" Captain America asked quietly, making sure not to sound aggressive again. He allowed her to ruminate in silence, his question more rhetorical.

"We've got to find a way to get out of here." Black Widow said seriously "If they take another army like the Chitari to Earth, they will wipe out everyone."

"That's what they want." Hawkeye said "They just want it gone and out of their way."

"Heimdall has to realize something is wrong." Volstagg said in frustration and just a hint of desperation "There isn't a way that Loki can maintain the images of us from this far away."

"I don't know how far his powers stretch." Thor replied with a scowl "I've never really known."

"He can't control the new guards that Odin sends there." Fandral said, as if it had just occurred to him "When they get there, they will be alerted to the fact that we are nothing but images. In fact, they may have already."

"Unless they traveled there to take control of them as well." Hogun replied grimly "We simply don't know how long it has been. We cannot assume anyone would realize anything by now."

"I would imagine it has been almost two days." Hena said quietly "And if my mother and father have been trying to speak to me, they will know something is not right by now. It doesn't look like Odin and them communicate personally though. So, we will have to send word to him another way."

Thor remained silent as they spoke, looking relatively subdued. Red Skull was correct. Even if he and Jane were no longer courting, he did not wish anything against her. And it made him sick to think of anything happening to her just because she'd known him.

* * *

Several hours more in the cell started to take a toll on all of them. Even though being able to see what Loki was doing had given them somewhat of a brief escape, hearing the ominous plans but not being able to prevent them was driving everyone crazy. They were relatively surprised someone hadn't lost it by now.

Thor was still quiet, pondering over the possibilities of Loki's revenge. Hena, being the only one to really tell what he was thinking, finally came over to him. His Asgardian friends were vaguely aware of his feelings for her, but not enough to understand his current concern.

"Are you alright?" Hena asked sympathetically. She kept her voice quiet, as not to let the others hear. Thor glanced back at her.

"I know what you've been thinking about." she admitted "I'm sorry you are worried about Jane."

He let out a deep breath "All of Midgard is in danger."

"It's not wrong to be worried about one particular person." Hena assured him. Thor gave an uncomfortable shrug.

"I am worried that they will bring her back here and use her against me." he said "And Loki wants to hurt me as he feels I hurt him. I fear for what he would do to her if he finds her."

"I don't believe Loki intends to take her." Hena said.

"He's threatened her before. When I returned from exile." Thor replied, sounding a bit angry.  
"But he never sought her out when he came to Earth. He only said it then to provoke you."

"SHIELD took her into protective custody." Thor said "I doubt he found it worthwhile to find her then." he paused "Hena, believe me, I have always tried to see the best of Loki. Even when he came to Earth. He killed a friend before me when I was helpless in a cage. And I was still willing to make amends. He was not. There is no reason for me to believe he wouldn't kill Jane."

Surprisingly, Hena just reached over and took his hand. Thor looked down at it for a moment.

"Loki would face repercussions from me if he did that. He spoke to all of you when you first arrived. But he has not come here yet. This tells that he does not want to face me."

Thor rose his eyes to her face, realizing that he believed it could be something else.

"You said he was angry with you. Are you sure this is not his way of getting revenge? He is very good at that." he said bitterly.

"I don't believe so." Hena replied "I suppose it is always a possibility though."

"I'm sorry to be negative." Thor said with a sigh "But, being stuck in here is maddening."

And, right then, he had a vague realization of what it must have been like for Loki during his year in prison. Except he would have been alone. He briefly felt sympathetic, but it quickly faded as he remembered why he himself was here in this cell.

"I know. Everyone here is on edge. I've been maintaining the emotion equilibrium as best as I can." Hena said. Thor's eyebrows went up and she nodded.

"You're trying to keep us calm?" he asked quietly.

"Thor, it has been more than three days since we were put in here." Hena said "I know that. But if anyone else knows, they'll become even more agitated."

"I can't feel that you are doing anything." Thor replied questioningly.

"I am keeping it subtle. It can become harder when the person is actively resisting it." Hena answered. He suddenly became aware that she was almost as old as him. She seemed younger, but there were times when her wisdom outshined his by far.

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	33. Forgiveness Refused

The door was opened with absolutely no warning, startling everyone in the room. Those who had been asleep immediately woke up. The others on watch were already facing the visitor, shocked to find Red Skull in the doorway.

Several hours had passed since Hena and Thor had their conversation. They weren't too aware of when night and day were, so this sudden appearance of their captor gave them something to go off. It was at least day time.

"Well, well, if this isn't the mighty Avengers." Red Skull said, surveying them with a small smile "And company."

He stood there until they were all on their feet before beckoning someone behind him.

Captain America stared at him, eyes hard as ice. They didn't approach the mutant, as one of the weird magical creatures was just outside the room. That was likely who he'd gestured to.

"I imagine you're tired of the dark." Red Skull said, having no idea that Hena was creating light for them. That inferred it was customary for prisoners to be in a black room "But, I'm afraid you're going to be here for a while longer."

Hawkeye glared at him darkly and Red Skull didn't miss it.

"Ah, yes, the revered father. Don't worry, your children are in safe hands." he said "Then again, I'm not sure what kind of people you trust, so that is all relative."

Captain America stepped at him, causing Tony to grab his arm. He held him back carefully until he trusted the soldier not to try again. Red Skull held up a warning finger.

"Now now, let's not be petty here." he said "You should know that not everything is as it seems. After all, a stupid boy such as yourself can become a war hero. Perhaps we'll be good caretakers of the woman and children."

"You have me here." Hawkeye growled "None of them know anything."

"Do you think we only have people who have something to offer here?" Red Skull asked "Most of them are used as collateral. And examples to the others. Some of them are refugees from realms long gone. No, in fact, they would be a minority if they _did_ have knowledge that we wanted."

"Then at least bring them in here with me." Hawkeye said.

"I'm sorry, they must have been misplaced." Red Skull said, feigning distress "Your dear friend Loki seems to have made a mistake. I'll fix that as soon as possible."

They glared at him. Obviously, he'd only come in here to gloat.

"I want to speak with Loki." Hena demanded suddenly "Let me speak with him."

Red Skull titled his head "I'm afraid he is rather busy at the moment. See, he's important among us. Despite our differences, he makes a fine leader for mass murder." he beckoned her forward "Come forward, I can always pass on a message."

"I don't want you to give him a message." Hena said coldly "I want to see him myself."

"That's not possible." Red Skull said with a sneer "As much as I wish I could help you, Loki has other matters to attend to. He isn't yours for the taking unfortunately. As I recall, you told him he was inadequate for tasks given to him."

"That is _not_ what I said." Hena hissed in response. She stepped forward to face him head on. They were about a foot apart "And if that is the way you spun it, then I know this is all blunt manipulation."

"I didn't have to spin anything in my favor. Nor did Thanos." Red Skull replied "Loki believed it for himself."

"I WILL speak with him." Hena said firmly.

The mutate laughed under his breath "Dear girl, you must know that Loki isn't going to listen. That his affection doesn't belong to you."

"Must I?" Hena countered "You and him have had an in-depth discussion, have you?"

"You're ridiculous." Red Skull replied "Do you even know who he is?"

"Yes, I know exactly who he is." Hena spat at him.

"He may have been raised in Asgard, but he is still a frost giant. Unfeeling and cruel. King of that wretched race to make it worse. But that makes him powerful. And, he is now Thanos' servant once again. You sit here and defend him while he destroys realms by the hour." Red Skull stepped closer to her.

"He used you to get close to your parents." Red Skull said "And perhaps..." he raised one hand to stroke her cheek and then Thor recognized the tenseness of her muscles well enough to know that she was being held in place "Keep you as a nice little...soft-skinned trophy once he convinced them he could be trusted. To remember his good work. Loki only lusts after power."

Hena grabbed his hand, apparently free to move now.

"Of course," Red Skull continued, not fighting her in the least "If that offends you, I would be quite willing to have you for myself."

Then, in one swift movement, she hit him across the face. Immediately, Red Skull retaliated and slapped her quite hard. It made Hena recoiled momentarily, but she didn't hesitate in coming back for a full fight. However, Thor yanked her back. She struggled furiously, cursing at him.

"Do you want me to tell you what he's done?" Red Skull demanded, angry after the blow "His plans? His ultimate betrayal of your family? How he tricked all of you?"

"Loki came to us before Thanos ever took control of him." Hena snarled "He never would have used us to gain what he wanted."

Red Skull did not reply right away, but his eyes gleamed. She glared at him, wanting him to admit this. But the mutant answered very slowly and calmly.

"What makes you think that Loki did not come to us first after his fall from Asgard?"

That reply took Hena completely by surprise and she blinked multiple times, falling still in Thor's grasp.

"He did not. I have seen his memories." she said.

"Have you not seen that he can distort his own memories to fit what he wants you to believe?" Red Skull asked "Can you see everything that happened here when he left Anaheim?"

Again, Hena hesitated. Her eyebrows creased, suddenly very uncertain.

"So you don't know, do you?" he repeated "He knew what he was doing all along, my dear Hena."

She gave him a dark look as he used Loki's name for her.

"He caused you to fall in love with him so that he would someday be heir to your throne. But we decided it needed a more convincing twist. He returned to us, having gained your parent's trust. And now, he will rule Anaheim and Asgard."

"He will never rule Asgard." Sif said adamantly. Hena stared at the ground, eyes slightly wide as she contemplated the new information.

"We will see then, I suppose." Red Skull just smiled at the Warrior "After all, if he's going to kill Odin, and Thor is here, he's very entitled to the throne." he leaned forward "Unless you've been lying to him when you told him he was an equal son of Odin."

"We never lied. We told him the truth at the time. But the truth isn't always the same when your actions force it to change." Thor replied, reacting purely out of anger.

"That doesn't seem very kind. I believe you just recently told him that Odin loved him. And that was after his adventure on Earth. Was he still an equal son then and it only changed when he decided to return to his true father in Thanos?" Red Skull smirked "I heard some of the argument he and Odin had. He told Loki that he was not valued by Frigga. What a pity be had to say that. Frigga was the only one Loki felt he could always count on."

"Odin never said that." Thor responded honestly "He said that Frigga deserved better than what Loki had done. You distort his words to make my father worse than he is."

"I doubt it."

Thor glared at him, fists squeezing together warningly.

"Imagine Loki being heir to three thrones when he was once worried he would never have one." Red Skull was taking full advantage of the God's lack of control over his emotions "Too bad one of them isn't Earth. Maybe if you'd received him more kindly last time Thanos wouldn't be obliterating it. I'll miss my old home, but one must move on." he looked at Hena "Don't worry though, I imagine Loki will take good care of Anaheim. If you won't be his queen, I'm sure he'll find another willing woman."

"Get out." Thor growled. To his surprise, the former mortal seemed willing to comply. But his eyes were still on Hena, as if waiting.

"You would like a message?" she asked quietly, lifting her gaze to him. Red Skull tilted his head expectantly.

"You can tell Loki that he is a vile, self-centered being that can go and burn in his spot earned in Hel." Hena said angrily "And if he ever tries to hurt my family or anyone else here, he will _never_ earn forgiveness from me. He may go and rot in his self-hatred that he forces on others. He should have died on Midgard. It would have been less pain than I feel now."

Red Skull said nothing as she spoke, just listened in delight. Then he backed up.

"I'll tell him." he said, stepping out and allowing the door to close.

Hena turned away from all of them, teeth clenched angrily. She closed her eyes for a moment, sadness the farthest thing from her mind.

"We're going to get out of here." she growled "They have plans to attack Anaheim."

"He may have just been trying to make you worried." Volstagg said sympathetically. But, quite honestly, they were surprised she was suddenly worried about her kingdom when all of the realms had been in danger all along.

"No." Hena faced him straight on "I read his mind and Anaheim is next. I don't know when. He did not know any details. And Midgard did not take up any space in his thoughts in the moment."

"But he said they were going to destroy it." Captain America replied in confusion.

"Maybe that is their plan, but I don't believe it will be as soon as we believed. That would be one of the most important things on his mind if it were happening soon." Hena pointed out. She remained absolutely neutral, not giving away what she really felt.

"Were there thoughts of any other realms?" Tont asked "Because if it was only Anaheim, I think that means he was deliberately thinking of it. For you."

"I considered that. He thought of Vormir during this time. The same planet my mother was cursed on. However, his thoughts surrounding Loki were very careful. No one can completely remove the truth from what they think, so there was most assuredly something real. But I worry that they have been made aware of my ability to read minds. Viewing memories is much more common and I would be surprised if they did _not_ know about that. But they should not know that I can see thoughts. This scares me if they do." she narrowed her eyes "It would have to mean that Loki told them. He knows many aspects of my abilities."

Volstagg and Fandral shared a look. And they guessed the others were thinking the same thing. Even though they'd come to think of the God of Mischief as an enemy again, him betraying Hena on such a personal level seemed...unlike him. Unless he was so good at deceiving that he'd managed to fool them all in his relationship with the Anaheim woman.

Hena sighed "No." then more definitively _"No._ I absolutely cannot believe he would do that. I simply cannot. Loki himself warned me about what Thanos would do with my powers. He wouldn't try to make that worse." she closed her eyes in frustration "Dammit. I am so stupid."

"For what?" Hawkeye asked, sounding mildly annoyed _"You've done_ nothing stupid."

"Yes, I have. Red Skull didn't come in here to see how we were doing. He didn't come knowing I would be able to read his mind." Hena said angrily "He came to goad me into saying exactly what he wanted to tell Loki. So he could tell him that I had given up. And I gave him every last word that he wanted to hear. When Loki doesn't feel forgiveness or redemption is possible, he doesn't attempt to receive them. This is why Odin's sentence only made it worse." she clenched her jaw together "I know he is making is own choices, but this is pure and utter deception and cruelty on their part. Thanos doesn't give a damn about Loki whatsoever."

"Why is that obvious to us and not him then? Isn't he the God of Mischief?" Tony asked pointedly.

Hena paused and then recanted her words "I have not seen Thanos yet. So I suppose I cannot say for certain. But, my instinct says he is only using Loki to get what he wants. Red Skull and everyone else who works for him. And Loki may or may not realize this. However, he _appreciates_ Loki and his skills. That is what Loki feels is lacking elsewhere." she ran her fingers through her hair anxiously "He doesn't need chastisement right now. Particularly from me. He needs to hear everything else I have said. Not just what Red Skull decides to tell him."

"If it's what you felt, than you deserved to say it." Hawkeye said, still quite satisfied that she expressed herself to Red Skull. _If_ Loki actually cared about her, it would teach him a lesson and that's exactly what Hawkeye wanted.

Hena didn't respond to him, but she turned to the door of the cell.

"I am going to see him." she said, lifting her hands and preparing to conjure up a viewing of him.

"Why?" Captain America asked warily.

"Because I need to see his face. I need to know what he is thinking." Hena replied.

"I thought you couldn't read his mind?" Captain America queried.

"You yourself cannot read anyone's, but you can usually read something about them, yes?" she asked "I have deciphered people for a long time."

He hesitated and then just bobbed his eyebrows slightly, indicating she could do what she liked. Thor didn't give his opinion, but he was watching her, hoping she would do it.

"Loki does not know that I can do this." Hena said "That is our advantage."

So, she lifted her hands and closed her eyes. The space in front of them shimmered and Loki appeared. Thor folded his arms, walking forward until he stood by Hena, face contemplative. His brother always had the two Chitari guards on either side of him, same as Thanos had his dark soldiers surrounding him. Red Skull never did, however, and that seemed very odd.

Loki was waiting in the first room that they had been imprisoned in. He was looking down the hall that led in the direction of their cell, but doing nothing else. The rooms around him were clear of all prisoners, which could have been good or very bad.

"The bastard isn't even that far away." Tony said plainly "Could stop by and say hello if he wanted. But would he? I doubt it."

"Be quiet." Volstagg muttered at him "Do you think your commentary helps?"

"Certainly doesn't hurt." Tony replied, holding out his hands. The Asgardian rolled his eyes.

"Red Skull will be going that way." Hena murmured over to Thor. He nodded, thinking the same thing.

"You think that's who he's waiting for?" Captain America asked, even though the statement wasn't directed at him "Loki could have been behind that. Sent him in here to gather anything he could."

"No, I don't think so." was all Hena replied. The soldier glanced at her briefly.

And, after waiting a few more moments, the formally mortal mutate came from the hallway, looking surprised to see Loki there.

"I had no idea you were such a...fan." he said coolly as he approached.

"Thanos is holding a conference." Loki replied flatly "He sent me for you."

"Yes, one would think he wanted us to bond." Red Skull said, walking past him. The God's narrowed eyes followed him.

"Where are we meeting? Upper corridor?"

"Yes." Loki answered, slowly following him.

Hena stared, not missing anything.

"I stopped by your friends' cell on my way up." Red Skull ventured, waiting for a reaction himself "I'm surprised you're allowing Hena to stay there."

But Loki didn't give him the display of emotion he wanted "You had somewhere else in mind?"  
"No, just...somewhere _more...pleasant might_ have been my guess. Or out here with you."

Loki scoffed quietly "You clearly need a refresher on Hena's personality."

"Well I wouldn't if we could simply use the scepter as it was intended." Red Skull said, reaching out a hand as if to grab it. The God of Mischief waved the weapon to the side.

"Her magic becomes ineffective if she is mindlessly coerced into using it. This would do absolutely nothing to help us." Loki said, still referring to the scepter "Go and do your research and you'll find a lot of things cannot be achieved by simple mind control."

"Then go and convince her that it would be in her best interest to help us. Before I do it myself. There isn't a problem if we simply coerce her into making the decision to use it in our favor." Red Skull said coldly "Anaheim is in our sights, maybe Mazi would be useful. After all, she can do the same thing, can't she? And Svleiva. Lovely Svleiva. She's having another daughter. The four of them could make quite the team-"

That was when Loki yanked out one of his knives. He slammed Red Skull back into the wall, letting the two Chitari grab the man's wrists and pin him back. They appeared to listen to Loki and Loki only.

"Don't you ever mention their names here, do you hear me?" he snarled "You will not speak that little girl's name in this realm."

"For someone who hates as much as you do, you certainly are a fierce protector of women's virtue." Red Skull said with a cold laugh "What's wrong? Frigga's dead so you had to find another mother, is that it? And you're trying to be the older brother you never had? They're not your family, Loki. You never had one. But I don't worry for you. You'll make sure they're yours forever, won't you?"

"Loki!" there was one call from down the hall that stopped the God from slitting that mutant's throat. He never seemed to get quite there.

The people in the cell inwardly shrank back a bit as the giant purple being came into view in the distance.

"Release him. I don't have time for your feud." Thanos said, followed by his plethora of creatures.

"Well, I would have met you where you wanted. But I seem to have been held up." Red Skull mocked. The Chitari guards let him go before Loki did, but he was finally allowed to stand by himself again.

Thanos walked over slowly, unfazed by the confrontation.

"You're guiding the attack on Anaheim." he said to Loki, his voice reverberating quietly in the hall "So you'll be deciding who needs to die and who doesn't." his eyes flicked over to Red Skull "We already discussed this. Long before the attempt on Midgard. Anaheim will be spared as long as Loki feels he can take control of them."

"We're wasting resources on that realm." Red Skull spat.

"No more than if we were to send in forces to ravage it." Thanos said. Then he vaguely smiled "Anaheim has things that I want. They aren't necessary, but they are something I don't want to destroy without at least trying to retrieve them."

"Valder doesn't possess the most valuable skill." Red Skull said, glaring at Loki "He is not useful."

"Would you rather take a realm by force or have them come willingly along?" Loki inquired "Their king and queen trust me." he pointed the scepter at Red Skull in both a demonstration and a threat "Valder will be under my control. And Svleiva too, if she senses something is wrong."

Hena held her breath, face pulled back in a cold expression.

"And Anaheim will follow." Loki continued "So, I ask you again, forcibly or willingly? Because, I assure you, they have an army that would fit in perfectly with the one we have."

So, finally, Red Skull had no more objections. His sneer suggested he wished he did, but with Thanos there, there was no way he could mock the plans they'd come up with together.

"If you're both satisfied, let's get on with our meeting." the Almighty said, turning away. Red Skull followed without hesitation, but Loki remained where he was for a moment. Then, he looked over, right at the people in the cell. Hena took a startled step back, wondering if he could actually see them. His eyes rested right on her, his expression warning and hard.

Thor glanced at Hena, who he realized was looking back at his brother neutrally. They held that for several seconds before Loki tilted his head and waved the scepter. The image dissipated immediately and Hena blinked.

He held such raw power in his hands.

"He knows we've been watching him." Thor said gruffly.

"He has shut me out now." Hena looked at the others, her tone obviously well controlled "I will not be able to use that again." she turned away, voice lowering "I need a moment alone."

Thor kept his eyes on the ground as she walked away. That was really the last thing she needed, but there wasn't anyone here she was close enough to really seek comfort from.

"And that's the man that attacked New York." Hawkeye said to them under his breath. He was done with any defense of the God of Mischief. Loki was an extremely talented liar, but the thing that gave all of this the ring of truth was his reluctance to condemn Mazi or anyone else in the Anaheimien family. If he'd been happy to kill them, they might have suspected something, but he was extremely forthright about his friendship.

When about what he assumed was an hour had passed and Hena was still standing alone on the opposite part of the room, Thor finally walked over to her. It was their time to sleep, but getting rest was unlikely. Black Widow and Hawkeye took their spots closest to the door, ready to warn the others if anyone came in. They spoke together for a little while, quietly enough to let the others sleep. Then Black Widow glanced over at the others that were awake. Hawkeye followed her gaze.

Thor and Hena were standing by each other, much closer than would have been expected. She was leaning against him and he had his arm lightly around her.

He'd gone through this mourning process many more times than she had.

 **Your reviews have encouraged me so much! Thank you! I am excited for the next chapter. Something...** ** _significant..._** **Is going to happen :)** ** _Significant_**


	34. An Unfortunate Decision

_Hena_

Hena woke with a start, eyes blinking open quickly. She sat completely still, holding her breath. Several seconds passed until she heard it again.

 _Hena_

The voice came almost like a whisper, as if they knew she would be asleep. But it was very distinct.

She shuffled to get to her feet, allowing light into the room.

"Loki?" she spoke both aloud and in her mind. Her hopeful voice would have stirred everyone anyway, but that particular name alerted them. Their eyes had to adjust to her light, so it took a moment for them to look right at her.

"Hena?" Thor asked, walking to her "What has happened? Is Loki speaking to you?"

"Yes." Hena stared at the ground as she listened.

 _Wake the others_

"What? What is he saying?" Captain America asked. Every eye was on her, waiting for a response. Hawkeye moved past the others to get closest to her. She shook her head slowly, as if hearing something she couldn't quite understand.

They waited impatiently, although they did keep quiet.

 _Are they awake?_

 _Yes, they are. Loki, what is going on? What are you doing?_

 _Hena, right now I need you to listen closely and pass on what I say_

Hena nodded out of habit, not caring that this would be confusing to everyone watching. They were on their toes in anticipation.

"He says that Thanos and Red Skull have sent many of their mercenaries to another realm for the next few days. There will be less guards to patrol. We need to be ready to leave." she opened her eyes to look at them.

Several of them pulled back their chins in confusion. Thor tilted his head to the side, scowling ever so slightly.

"What?" Hawkeye was the first one to speak, sounding both angry and puzzled. He didn't share the pure relief and excitement that was on Hena's face.

"He's going to get us out of here." she said breathlessly.

"Now?" Tony asked with a multiple blinks as if he misheard "Wait, _now_?"

"Yes." Hena repeated, still listening intently, eyes flicking side to side.

Thor and the Warriors shared a look, entirely unsure what to make of this. Could that even be true? Volstagg shook his head slightly, not wanting Thor to entertain the thought.

"How do we know this is Loki?" Fandral asked honestly "There are plenty of others out there that would like nothing more than a motive to have us killed."

"Loki _is_ one of those people, I thought." Black Widow said dryly. The Asgardian glanced at her.

"No, this is _him_." Hena said, stressing the last word vehemently "No one else but him would have the ability to speak to my mind in this manner. I would be able to sense a change. This is Loki." she looked at them, worried that this could possibly be a ruse, but more worried that they wouldn't believe it.

"This is the Loki we know." she said with quiet firmness, before looking back down in concentration.

And that did seem to make them pause and ruminate. It felt incredibly stupid and dangerous to put faith in the God of Mischief again, but not if it truly was the Loki they had begun to trust.

"Two guards are going to come to this cell." Hena said "They will listen to what we tell them and they will lead us out of here."

"We can just walk out, huh?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"They will help us to avoid patrols and areas that are more monitored." Hena went on and Tony nodded and shrugged at the same time, as if that made sense.

"And what about Laura and my kids?" Hawkeye asked with more force.

Hena acknowledged his words with a quick look in his direction, but she didn't want to miss what Loki was telling her. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again.

"Banner is on the other side of the compound in an isolated area. Loki says it would be best to get him and bring him with us. The guards will take us there on our way out."

Hawkeye's eyebrows went up, expecting her to address his family. Hena scowled in concern momentarily, as if hesitant to repeat whatever she'd been told.

"We need to leave Laura and the children here for now."

"No." Hawkeye said flatly.

"He says to leave them here and he will keep them safe. They are unharmed." Hena replied anxiously "Hawkeye..."

"No. Absolutely not." he said with the same amount of defiance "How does that make sense? Get everyone out except the most innocent ones? No."

"Loki has spoken to Laura already." Hena said, taking a deep breath as she relayed what the God of Mischief told her "She agreed to it and she says it is okay. She said that she loves you and tells you to be safe."

"Even if I _believed_ she and Loki made an agreement, I wouldn't leave them behind." Hawkeye replied angrily.

"She's just the messenger." Tony reminded him, implying he shouldn't take his frustration out on Hena.

"Then tell _Loki_ no." Hawkeye said adamantly.

"I have told him how you feel." Hena replied "And he wants me to tell you that they are not in danger and he will keep it that way. But only if we leave them here."

"How in the hell does that make _sense_?" Hawkeye repeated "Has he _seen_ this place? Women and children die everyday. What makes them different?" he waited for half a second before answering his own question "Nothing. I don't trust the bastard. Not now and not ever again."

"Ask him why they won't be safer with us." Captain America told her, gaze steady. They looked over at the woman, but Hena shook her head, exhaling quickly.

"I cannot. He can't speak anymore. He had to leave."

"That's convenient." Black Widow said.

"He said from the beginning that I needed to listen because he only had time to explain once." Hena replied.

They fell into a confused silence, sharing glances. Tony shrugged over at Hawkeye, who obviously wasn't accepting the proposed offer.

"I believe he means what he says." Hena said gently.

"Why? Why should we?" Hawkeye asked "He gave up my kids, remember? He let Thanos take them here to die."

"No, Hawkeye, he saved them." Hena said, eyes almost teary as she realized the same "If he had not told Thanos they could be useful, they would have been killed right then and there. All of them. If his servants had gone into the house and found Laura waiting, they would have assumed she was a threat. Loki made them known and made them seem important so Thanos would bring them with us." she looked over at Thor in distress "This has been his plan all along."

Thor stared back with an apprehensive expression, wanting it to be true.

"If that's true then the guards will be coming soon." Captain America said, taking a step back to look at the door "We need to be ready."

"Very ready." Tony replied.

"We haven't anything to fight with." Volstagg pointed out.

"It doesn't sound like he expects us to need that." Thor replied quietly, finally voicing his thoughts.

"Thor, do _you_ think we should trust him?" Captain America asked, gazing at him evenly. He didn't appear to lean one way or another.

"I do not think we should ignore an opportunity to leave." Thor replied simply. But his eyes flicked down to the floor.

Hena blinked at him sympathetically.

"Thor, whatever words Loki spoke to you, I'm sorry. But you have to take into account who was present when he said them."

"Loki has said those things many times when we were alone." Thor replied without hesitating "I've forgiven him too many times. He told Thanos he would be happy to kill me and I take that as the truth. Loki took everything that I did in my youth as reality. Why should I not do the same?"

"Do you truly think Thanos and him have even the smallest amount of honesty between them right now?" Hena asked "Loki has chosen us. Not him."

"Then he could have let me in on it." Thor replied angrily.

"Loki did this to deceive Thanos. He knew he would not come off as a hero to us." Hena told him with a hint of reprimand "He needed his betrayal to be authentic so that no one would suspect. He needed us to believe it. Don't give up on him now. Not now when he is returning to us."

"I'm not leaving my family here. I don't care why he thinks I should. I'm not." Hawkeye said firmly.

"We aren't." Captain America corrected him "The guards can take us there and then to Banner.

Hena hesitated at that, but she did not object. She still had words to say to Thor, but at that moment there was a quiet rummaging sound from outside the door. Everyone froze, unsure whether to prepare for a fight or a greeting.

The entrance slid open and they all squinted into the light for a moment.

Two of the Chitari stood there silently, not moving an inch. For a moment, it stayed that way until Hena slowly stepped forward.

"Take us out of here." she said, sounding unsure if she was actually supposed to order them to do what they needed to.

So, the creatures turned with several weird sounds under their breath.

"Show us where my family is." Hawkeye ordered, taking for granted that they would understand what that meant. After all, they may not even know who he was.

As soon as they stepped from their places, images of each of them appeared, just as they had on Earth. Hena looked at them, hiding a smile. Every tactic used for Thanos was now going to be used against him. And that was utterly satisfying.

Thor and Captain America walked out first, following the guards down the hall. Hawkeye soon took the lead, wanting to get to his wife and children more than anything. He looked swiftly down every corridor when they passed it, but the Chitari were quite vigilant themselves.

The door of their cell closing made each of them jump, heads snapping back to look. Thor had to calm his breathing. It sounded so unusually loud in the silence. He was fighting the hope that Loki really was going to help them out and he was prepared for the absolute worst. His compassion had been thrown back in his face enough for him to want to withhold it forever. But, it wouldn't go away. No matter what he did.

The Chitari really did act as though they wanted to help them. They halted the group when anything seemed out of place and backed them up if they needed to avoid being seen. Everyone kept silent to help that along.

After many minutes of blindly following their guides, they came into a large spacious room that appeared to be the very center of the base. Each of the fours walls had doors and hallways lined up, showing that this place was a lot bigger than one would have assumed from being in their cell. The ceiling was far above their heads, meaning there were other levels to the compound. As well as allowing beings as large as Thanos to be inside.

However, they were not being led to the opposite side where Loki had said Banner was held. They didn't know where the children were, but it seemed suspicious. For the moment, they stayed in an uneasy silence before Captain America called them out.

"Stop." he said and the Chitari did, turning to him. Their beady eyes bored into him.

"Where are you taking us?" he asked, suddenly feeling very wary.

"Maybe this is where my family is." Hawkeye said.

The Chitari almost seemed to bare their teeth at them, but they couldn't communicate. One of them pointed back in the direction they'd been walking. Then, they turned to continue that way.

"This is wrong." Captain America stayed where he was, taking a step back even.

"Loki may have ordered them to take us somewhere else." Hena said.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." he replied.

"We need to follow them." Hena said with a hint of desperation. But everyone remained where they were.

The creatures stopped by a large metal generator and parted ways. They took about ten steps away from each other and then stood at attention. Captain America looked around quickly, wondering who they were taking orders from.

Between the two guards, there was a faint green shimmer and several items appeared on the ground. Again, the group paused before leaning to see. Eyebrows flying up, Captain America quickly went over, followed by the others.

Laying on the ground was his shield, Hawkeye's bow and arrow, Black Widow's guns, and every other weapon that had been taken from them. Even Tony's communicative wrist band.

"Son of a bitch." the billionaire said under his breath.

Their hesistant faith having been restored, they each grabbed their individual pieces and seemed to examine them briefly before looking at the others.

The Chitari turned in synchronization again, coming back together to lead the way.

"Take us to Laura Barton and the kids that are with her." Hawkeye said, putting his quiver around his shoulder.

So, the guards changed course, leading them to the set of doors perpendicular to where they'd come from instead of across the way.

"We need to be careful." Hena said quietly "This is not where we are meant to go."

"We'll be quick. In and out." Captain America replied. He felt much better with all of them armed. All except for Thor and technically Tony.

The God of Thunder hadn't said anything when they'd taken back their weapons. He'd never realized that the fact that only he could pick up Mjolnir could be a disadvantage to him. But it could and right now, he wished more than anything that Loki was able to hold the hammer.

They went down another hall similar to the one that held their cell. Except this one was lined with many more doors.

Their footsteps, despite being quiet, made them sweat in anticipation. Each shuffle, each small tap seemed as if it could bring a whole army upon them.

"These rooms are not magically protected." Hena told them, gazing around her.

"Then must keep a lot of nonthreatening people here." Captain America replied.

"And that exactly describes who I'm looking for." Hawkeye said determinedly.

The Chitari walked along silently, in no rush to get where they needed to go. But eventually, they stopped in front of one of the many doors they were passing.

"Open it." Hawkeye said earnestly, facing the wall. One of the creatures leaned forward and reached out a hand. The lock on the door clicked and the mortal was able to push it the rest of the way open.

The cell was dark, must like theirs should have been. But, four figures stood inside, shielding their faces from the light. There was a quiet whimper of 'mommy' from one of them.

"Laura?" Hawkeye asked, stepping in quickly.

"Clint." the voice was very surprised.

"Dad!" Nathaniel was the first to run over to him. His father picked him up immediately, giving him a tight hug, but also hushing him. Then he walked over to the others.

"Clint, what are you doing here?" Laura asked in astonishment as he embraced her. When he let go, she stared at him.

"Loki told us you had to leave first." she said in confusion.

"I wasn't going to leave you guys here." Hawkeye replied firmly.

"Everyone is leaving today." Captain America said. He beckoned them all urgently.

"But, that wasn't what he said." Laura replied, shaking her head. She almost took a step back.

"Loki isn't in charge here. We are. And we need to go today." Hawkeye said, taking her hand.

"Clint, the kids won't stay quiet." Laura said under her breath tensely. Her eyes flicked over to the two boys nervously.

"I can be quiet." Cooper replied indignantly, hearing her "Just like Loki told us to be." But he appeared just a bit too eager to get out. Lila held onto her mother. Nathaniel was still in his father's arms, clutching him as if he never wanted to let go.

"We're going now." Hawkeye decided for them "Come on."

Laura paused for a moment more before accepting that. The worry in her eyes didn't change, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she was relieved to leave the dark confines behind.

"I don't want to walk." Nathaniel said, eyes scared.

"You don't have to right now." Hawkeye replied, holding a finger to his mouth.

The little boy nodded, laying his head down on his father's shoulder.

Fandral was the only one to look at his friends in concern.

"Take us to Bruce Banner." Captain America told the guards and they turned to return down the hall.

As they were walking, Thor suddenly realized that getting out of this place wasn't their only concern. Getting out the _realm_ was the actual task. He had no idea what Loki could have meant for them to do once they were out. Perhaps, like the weapons, the Chitari were going to take them somewhere. Maybe there was a plan. But, if not, Thor wasn't sure what they were supposed to do. Hena was thinking along the same lines, but from his sudden spark of anxiety, she looked into his thoughts.

"Let me try and talk to Loki." she said, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Captain America turned, the question rising to his lips. But, then he realized that might not be bad idea. She waited briefly for an objection. There was none.

 _Loki, can you hear me? What are we meant to do once we leave. We will be out soon enough_

She waited for a response, but after many seconds, there was still silence.

"He's not-"

 _Keep moving_

Hena took in a startled breath, realizing how glad she was to hear his voice each time.

"He wants us to keep going." she said quickly "I assume he has a plan in place."

Thor nodded, hoping that was true.

"I want to walk." Nathaniel said to his father, a direct contradiction to what he'd wished earlier.

"Not right now." Hawkeye replied "Let me hold you until we're out of here."

"No, now." Nathaniel said, sounding more frustrated.

Laura pointed at the ground, lips pressed together. So, with a deep breath, Hawkeye slowly put Nathaniel back on the ground. It was easier than trying to calm him.

"Where are we going?" Cooper asked.

"Back home." Laura hushed him immediately. Black Widow held out one hand to him and he walked over to take it. Fortunately, that seemed to make him content for the time being. Lila just stayed by her mother, looking around anxiously.

The guards led them down the long hallway until they reached the same spacious room that gave them passage to the rest of the areas. It was still quiet in there. Weirdly quiet.

Nathaniel tiptoed up to Cooper, despite Hawkeye whispering fiercely for the boy to stay by him.

They had to cross the open area again to get where Banner was being kept. He was likely to be sedated when they found him, which was a bit of a concern.

They were taken into one of the passages on the wall that ran parallel to the side they'd been on. Presumably heading for Banner.

As was dreaded and slightly expected, Cooper and Nathaniel began to pester each other. Their angry whispers got far too loud far too fast, causing Hawkeye to grab the younger boy. Everyone had the child in the corner of their gaze, wary that they were going to be found out because of him.

The Chitari in front of them stopped abruptly, shifting their attention from the kid to whatever had alerted their guides. At a faint clicking noise up ahead, the Warriors immediately readied themselves for a fight. Thor edged past the Chitari, who were looking at each other now, to quietly peer around the corner.

Four of the same creatures that had attacked them at the SHIELD compound were prowling along the ground around the corner. They were on all four legs, low guttural sounds coming from their throats as they walked down the hall. Their teeth were bared at the ground and they shook their heads vigorously every few seconds. Not something one wanted to get into a skirmish with if it could be avoided.

So, the God of Thunder slowly backed up to inform the others. And his friends lowered their prepared weapons.

Captain America let out a breath. It was shaky as he tried to control the volume. He glanced at Tony and Thor for a moment. Tony leaned his head towards the Chitari, eyebrows up, and then shifted them to the other creatures several yards away. He waved his hands in a clawing motion. Captain America shook his head, leaning to see how close they were now. He immediately moved back, pressing against the wall with wide eyes.

"Keep them asleep. Thanos will wake them up when he's ready for them." Red Skull said, stepping out of a room along the hallway.

The others recoiled at the sound of his voice. The mutant was walking down the hall in their direction.

Hawkeye held Nathaniel close to his chest, hand pressing his head down to keep him quiet. The creatures down the hall turned to the red-faced man as he passed them. But, he slowed his pace and turned the hallway before theirs. Everyone held their breath for a moment, waiting to see if he would come back. Their hearts pounding were loud enough to alert Thanos' whole army.

After several agonizing minutes went by, they allowed a bit of tenseness to leave their shoulders. The animals were rounding the same corner as Red Skull. The path was clear.

Hawkeye so very slowly lowered Nathaniel to the ground, but he kept one hand gripped on his arm. Lila stared down the hall, holding tightly to her mother's shirt. Her eyes showed the fear that everyone felt and she didn't even know how dangerous the situation really was for them.

They were ready to move now, but the Chitari refused to do so. They stood quite still and Thor took that to mean the group should do the same.

Then, without warning, the two guards turned around, teeth bared. Lila let out a scream, which was almost instantaneously cut off as Loki appeared out of nowhere, clamping one hand over her mouth and twisting to bring her closer to the wall.

Hawkeye had an arrow drawn and ready before he recognized who it was. But then he lowered it, eyes wide.

"Loki." Thor said in a sharp whisper.

The Chitari suddenly let out loud screeches, making him jerk back. However, Loki didn't look alarmed. He was still gazing down the hall where the other creatures had left. The guards were calling to try and cover up the scream Lila had made. They copied her pitch and short duration. Their voice was an acceptable sound to the patrolling animals, unlike anyone's in the group.

Loki looked over at them with narrowed eyes before very carefully taking his hand from Lila's mouth. His other hand held the scepter.  
The expressions returned to him were a mixture of anger and relief, some leaning more one way or another.

He stepped back, with his jaw pressed together.

"I thought I told you to leave them where they were." he said, voice quivering with hostility.

"And I said no." Hawkeye replied, flipping his arrow back into the quiver. Laura brought Lila back to her, watching them begin the debate over what she already told Hawkeye.

"Loki." Hena said worriedly, stepping towards him.

"Hena, reunion later." Loki responded, cutting her off. She stared at him as if looking at a complete stranger. Except, she knew him, which only made it worse.

His eyes were so dark around the edges. They had noticeably morphed into a different color. Blue. Not green.

 _"You...are...not...going_ to make it out of here with them." he said, still in a whisper.

"I'd rather risk it than leave them here with the rest of your pampered prisoners." Hawkeye spat quietly. The others looked uneasy, as if uncertain which side to take.

Loki leaned forward, his voice even lower so that only a select few could hear it.

"Fine." he said, the now indifferent tone making their hair rise "But when you're caught and they're tortured and killed, that blood is on your hands. Not mine." he brought himself back, glaring "Now get out. They send guards to check the cells every hour. Leave Banner. You don't have time now. He's far too deeply sealed. And they'll be missing the others."

He referred to Laura and the children, which was something no one had thought of unfortunately. Loki's plan unfortunately provided very little room for error.

"Can't you do the same for them as you did in our cell?" Volstagg ventured.

"No. They're more than illusions. They act the same as the person they duplicate for a while. And that requires more. I am already hindering their surveillance. So take them, leave Banner, and go."

Upon saying that, he expected another objection, but there was none.

"You'll protect him." Captain America checked, gazing at him intently.

"We are far past any of you giving orders to me." Loki growled "I told you to get him first. You've made your choice."

"Loki." Hena said, her voice always so much more soothing.

"They are going to Anaheim first." Loki told them, eyes on her only "Then Midgard, then Jotunheim. The rest of the nine realms will follow until they have enough to have them stand against Asgard. You will need to get to your father and tell him to prepare. Asgard can come to Anaheim before Thanos arrives."

"I can't speak to my father." Hena replied with quick shake of her head.

"Try again once you are out of here." Loki said "I couldn't have you bring him here when you were in your cell. Now, go." he stepped back again.

"You have to come with us." Hena demanded with a faint shrillness to her voice. So, that was how he intended for them to leave. Valder was supposed to come and get them.

"No, not now." Loki said, still remaining fully reserved.

"Loki, what are they doing to you?" she said in distress "You know you can't stay here."

"I cannot leave now." he repeated.

"If you stay, the first person they will suspect is you." Hena said.

"They wouldn't suspect anything until you were safe in Anaheim if you'd done as you were instructed. In fact, much longer than that." Loki replied in frustration. He turned away "So, _get out."_

"Loki-"

"No, don't, Hena. Leave."

 _"Loki Odinson,_ _you listen to me right now_!" Hena hissed, her voice much louder than before. He immediately looked at her, eyes wide. The others shrunk down and heads turned in different directions, expecting alarms to start ringing.

"You are _not_ this cold! Especially to me!" Hena continued sharply. She reached one hand for the scepter angrily "Put it down."

Loki waved it away from her reach, chin raised.

"I'm honestly not sure if you're possessive of it or if it's possessive of you." Hena said fiercely "There is a reason you will not let me touch it. You know what it does. It is the same reason you took away Mazi's memory." she squinted "You cannot keep holding it. The only reason it has not taken a stronger grip is because you are fighting the dark emotions it intensifies in order to help us."

Loki held her gaze, his own eyes narrowed before he slowly raised his arm and allowed the scepter to fade.

"That only helps. It won't solve the problem and you know this." Hena said, the anger less apparent now.

Thor examined his brother warily. He couldn't see auras, but he now believed what Valder had said when he'd first come to see them. Loki was deeply affected by the things that happened in this dark realm.

"You have to come with us now." Hena went on.

"I can't." though less harsh, the answer was the same.

"Yes, you can and you must. I won't leave unless you are coming."

"It will make things worse if I come now." Loki replied.

"You cannot predict what Thanos will do to you when he finds out." Hena said, shaking her head fearfully.

"I will join you, but not yet. I will meet you in the battle on Anaheim." he responded. He nodded back down the hall "You must leave now."

Hena reached to take his hand with both of hers.

"Please." she murmured, suddenly seeming to be asking for something other than for him to come.

Loki stood in silence for a moment. Then he blinked with a small resigned exhalation. Her magic suddenly passed from her hands to his with a golden glow.

Almost instantly, the ghastly marks around his eyes withdrew a bit. Hena let out a deep relieved breath and released him.

Then, the growl they'd heard many minutes before came again, causing Loki to put a finger to his lips. The creatures were making their rounds again.

"Go." he said under his breath, waving them on. The Chitari, who'd stood in complete silence, turned to lead them back out at his word.

"Thank you." Thor told him briefly. Loki didn't respond, but the two of them held gazes for a few seconds. The younger brother looked away first.

Hawkeye took Nathaniel back up in his arms to leave. Even though they all generally had a good sense of direction, it was very difficult to try and weave their way through this compound. Their guides, however, obviously had no such problem, and immediately started down a different path than they'd come in.

When they were several yards away, the God of Mischief spoke again, still in a hushed tone.

"Hena."

She looked back expectantly as everyone paused.

"I fell to Anaheim first. Not here." Loki said, head tilted forward slightly. Then he turned and faded from sight.

Hena paused for a moment, but couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face before she continued on her way with the others.

* * *

Red Skull surveyed the rooms down the corridor that were being opened and shut. The people inside had adjusted their eyes to the dark rooms. So, upon opening, they would always shy away, losing the chance for a look outside. The lack of light usually mellowed their prisoners quite well. If left long enough, they tended to be driven to insanity. At that point, the scepter wasn't necessary to take control of them anymore. Most of Thanos' followers weren't made up of coerced beings. Generally, they were quite willing, but it never hurt to have some extra expendable soldiers.

The Chitari were able to count the number in the cell nearly instantaneously while also making sure that they were the ones meant to be inside. This made it so that the doors were hardly open at all. Unless the prisoners knew exactly when the guards were coming, they wouldn't be able to prepare an attack.

However, this was only for the ordinary cells. The ones that were magically sealed were left shut and the occupants were counted by a magical trace on the outside. Soon, Red Skull would move on to those. After these ones were secured, he was more than ready to stop in front of one in particular. The man that had ruined his first attempt to take Earth was in there and that vengeance was still sweet. Even though him being sent to Thanos was far better, Red Skull never forgot those with whom he lost a war.

Th Chitari warrior stopped outside of the door and he watched with a small curve of his mouth. They moved on without hesitation, obviously showing that there was no problem with the impressive Avengers team inside. Red Skull nodded to himself in satisfaction before raising his eyes to supervise the rest of the cells.

* * *

Thor wished that they were able to communicate with the Chitari leading them out. They had no way of knowing how much farther it was until they were free. Hena was constantly trying to contact her father, despite Loki telling her it wouldn't work in here. She did not know exactly what he had meant by that, so she decided it was better to continue trying.

Leaving Banner behind was nagging at all of them, especially since it felt like they had traded him for Hawkeye's family. But, even though Loki had reacted angrily when Captain America asked him to protect their friend, they somehow believed he still would.

They'd had to pass several of the same creatures they'd met while going to get Banner. Each time, the Chitari would stop and allow the creatures to move on. No one was aware that the ones they had to avoid had no eyes and relied solely on sound to lead their way. They were less sentient than the Chitari, following only the orders given to them. They did not think for themselves. The only thing they sought was blood and it made them the perfect sentries.

Cooper still walked by Black Widow, being very obedient, much to the relief and gratitude of his parents. He kept quiet and was even looking around him from time to time.

"Hena?" Fandral asked under his breath, getting up next to her. She glanced over, pausing her attempts to reach her father.

"Can you read their mind?" he asked, pointing up at the Chitari.

Everyone brightened a little bit, but Hena shook her head in regret.

"They are more machine than living being. They do have individual thoughts, but it's like trying to break through the barrier of their basic design. They have an underlying purpose at all time and that overshadows anything else they have to process."

Fandral sighed breathily in disappointment.

"But I think I can sense the connection with my father becoming stronger." Hena went on "That may just be wishful thinking, but I believe I can."

"And that's all we need." Thor replied softly "If you can get your father to come here, then we'll be able to take it from there."

They came into a room that looked similar to the very first one they'd been brought to. It had the cages on every wall, which they now knew were just to hold prisoners until they were sorted. Cooper looked up and around, no longer paying attention to how close he got to his brother until he stepped on the back of his shoes.

"Cooper! Don't!" Nathaniel complained indignantly, making them all freeze. He turned part way to face his brother before Hawkeye whirled him back around with wide eyes. His father gripped the boy tightly, even though he squirmed indignantly.

There was an alarmed screech from one of the halls behind them and they all took several steps back.

"We need to run." Captain America said, one hand unconsciously on Hena's upper arm to pull her along.

"Where?" Sif asked, sounding angry instead of scared.

"The way we were heading." Tony replied, pointing down the hall, even though most of them were already moving in that direction.

But, within seconds, the horrible yellow and black creatures appeared, scraping around the corner. This time, all three of the children screamed.

The first one leapt right at Captain America and he flung it away with his shield. Hawkeye sent an arrow into the next one before dragging Nathaniel back away from the fight. He pulled him back to Laura, who had her other two children held close.

With all of their weapons, they would have been able to hold off the aliens with ease, but they also needed to make it out of this place at the same time. And, the room was far too small for them to try and maneuver in.

The Warriors lined up in their usual positions to fight. Without coordination, they all surrounded Laura and the children.

The Chitari had moved back out of the way. Apparently, their instructions had not included defending anyone and the creatures did not target them.

The way back deeper into the compound was completely open. No enemies came from there, but everyone was reluctant to run back in. However, once it became clear there were too many for them to keep away from the children, Black Widow fired several shot into the creatures and pulled Cooper and Lila back with her. Hawkeye followed with Laura by his side and Nathaniel in his arms.

"Guys, fall back, or we'll all be killed." he yelled.

Thor ordered something at his friends, but nobody stopped fighting until the wild-looking animals began to try and run around them to follow Hawkeye down the hall. Then they all backed up and took a mad dash.

Sprinting about as hard as he could ever remember, Thor flipped around to face the threat when they made it to the main area. Claws ripped at the ground as the creatures skidded to a halt.

"What are they doing?" Hawkeye gasped at them as he tried to get air back into his lungs from running so hard.

"We have escapees." came a voice and they whirled to face it. Then, almost instantaneously their arms were tightened down to their bodies and they lost all ability to move.

"Lost your tongue have we?" Red Skull asked, harshly "I think not. Speak up."

The ugly beings that held the physical control over them came forward to stand by the former mortal, hands extended towards them. All of them had come from the same sector that Laura and the kids had been.

And finally, Thanos himself stepped from the hallway. He was not wearing any armor this time, but that did not make him look less massive than he had when he first came to Earth.

"We wondered where our child friends had run off to." he said, his voice low as he surveyed them. His eyes landed on Laura and then Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel "I expected they'd be dead, from the sound of that fight. What I didn't expect was to find a whole group of our guests ready to leave with them." he looked at Red Skull "Who helped them?"

"Two of the Chitari apparently. They're being brought now."

"You might want to reevaluate the intellect of your soldiers." Hena said mockingly, hiding her fear. For a moment, Thor was surprised that she could actually speak before realizing that he could as well. Her words were both mocking and a way to try and shift some of the blame that could potentially fall to Loki.

"Ah, Hena, I'm glad to finally meet you." Thanos said, peering at her. His tone was almost kind and fatherly like.

"Finally?" Hena asked, narrowing her eyes with a disgusted look.

"Yes. Loki told us a little about you when he left Anaheim. Although, your family was already well known to me." Thanos replied "He was under extreme duress at the time, so you can't be too angry with him."

Thor barely restrained himself from calling out an angry insult to the Titan. It was a very subtle hint that Loki had in fact been tormented when he'd come to this realm the first time. Just as Thor suspected. But he didn't want to give away that he was now on good terms with his brother again.

"Speaking of him, Red Skull, send guards to go and find Loki." Thanos said, looking down at his right hand man "He'll likely have been alerted to this, but I want him here. Perhaps he can shake some sense into our ally Hena."

"I wouldn't be too sure." Red Skull warned, although he was turned to call men to him. He grinned wickedly over at Hena, who glared back "She said some pretty unkind things not long ago. Don't count on their friendship to play in your favor."

"Friendship?" Hena spat the term as if nothing made her sicker than to think of that.

Thanos didn't say anything in response because the Chitari that had been taking them out were now following one of the Almighty's personal servants into the room. Red Skull walked over to meet them, letting the darkness infused being return to his spot by the others.

Nathaniel had his face pressed into his mother's side, glancing out at a few of the sounds. None of the children had lost their ability to move and it didn't look like Laura had either. She was protectively positioned in front of the kids.

"Well?" Thanos asked.

"These appear...to be...Nebula's...former guards." Red Skull replied, slowly turning back to his master.

"Nebula." Thanos echoed.

"Yes. It isn't possible for her to have come back, is it?"

"Only if it was to kill me." Thanos replied and it was unnerving to hear that he didn't sound even the slightest bit concerned.

"She would want to sabotage our plans too." Red Skull pointed out.

"But she would not have known they were here." Thanos said, talking slowly as he began to think "Unless..." he turned his head to look at Hena. Then he surveyed all of them, eyes narrowing. Thor and the Warriors were grouped closer together and all of them looked just as angry as Hena.

"He's clever, I'll give him that." he said lowly.

Red Skull's brow furrowed.

"Where is Loki?" Thanos asked, his tone cold.

"Preparing the Chitari to be able to infiltrate Asgard." the mutate responded carefully, as if not sure this was correct any longer.

Thanos smiled ever so slightly "He's here. He's watching. Watching his deceitful plan fall apart." he looked at Hena "Isn't that right?"

"Trust me, I wished for days that this was a trick and he was still our friend. But, after what he did." she paused, her voice quivering in anger "Loki gave us up to you." she sounded as if she meant every hateful word "The bastard is here. Just with _you_."

"And the Chitari came so conveniently to your cell and then to the children's cell?" Thanos asked, humoring them "No, they're not considerate enough to get the family too. Just your group alone would have suggested an unfamiliar being let you loose. But, taking the children suggests that your ally has a bond with at least one member among you."

Laura stared up at him, trying to control her breathing.

"Loki?" Thanos spoke now to the whole room "Show yourself. I know you would follow along with them. You're here."

Red Skull peered around warily, but he looked somewhat exhilarated. Thor could only see Hena's expression from the corner of his eye, but she was forcing herself to look subtly smug and condescending. To trick their enemies into believing that she _wanted_ them to think it was Loki.

"Come out." Thanos said, taking a step forward to the group.

The room remained still and it was not hard to believe that those they could see were the only ones in the room. And they might have been. Loki was smart enough to stay away when Thanos expected him to be close.

The Almighty reached forward and grabbed Hena by the arm. She yelled angrily as he yanked her to the ground towards him. Then he pulled her to her knees.

"Shall we test your friendship, Loki?" he asked, forcing Hena's head back. She struggled against his grasp on her arms, but he had her in a secure hold.

"Will you let me kill her before you surrender?" Thanos asked. Red Skull put the tip of a knife to her throat, very aware of her quickened breathing.

"He's not here, dammit!" she said, letting out a cry as Thanos pulled her head farther back.

"Let her go!" Thor snarled at them.

"Let her bleed then, Loki." Thanos growled. Red Skull let the blade slip into her skin just a bit. Hena winced, face tightening as a drop of red liquid rolled down her neck. She tried to jerk away, but only ended up making it press in deeper. At her sound of pain, Thor's protests were echoed from everyone.

"If he was here, he would have come!" Volstagg said, his voice most discernible among them.  
Tears trailed down the sides of Hena's face, as the knife continued to bite into her flesh. Her neck was completely exposed from the way they were holding her and the dark blood was clearly visible running down her skin. Thanos peered around, trying to see every angle of the room.

Hena cried sharply. Her eyes squeezed as Red Skull roughly pulled the dagger back. He hit her across the face, hard enough to knock her to the ground. Thanos let her fall, staring down at her in disdain as she heaved in breaths.

"He's smart enough to know we won't kill her." he said.

Hena pushed herself to her elbows and then drew one hand close to her throat to put pressure on the cut. She breathed hard, sweat from her face mingling with the blood.

"Bring me the girl." Thanos said coldly.

"No!" Hawkeye demanded fiercely.

Without hesitation, Red Skull walked forward and pushed past the group of Avengers. Some of the Chitari in the room followed him.

"No, don't touch her!" Laura pleaded desperately "Leave her alone, she's innocent. Please!"

The Chitari took ahold of her, allowing Red Skull to rip Lila away from her mother. The girl screamed, both in fear and pain as the mutant pulled her along by the hair.

"Stop!" Hawkeye nearly screamed at them.

"She's nothing, Loki." Thanos looked around with narrowed eyes "She's a mortal. Pathetic and useless. But, nevertheless, she is still a child."

Red Skull handed Lila over to the Titan. Thanos took her by the hair as well, forcing her to her knees.

"Should she die? Shall Mazi lose her friend?" he asked. He placed his hand to Lila's temple and the girl began to scream.

"Don't, please!" Laura cried, struggling against the Chitari holding her "Let her go!"

 _"How far gone is Loki Odinson?"_ Thanos snarled over the screaming child.

"STOP!" Hawkeye shouted again, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the commotion.

"Use your _magic,_ Loki!" Red Skull mocked, ignoring the despairing parents.

At those words, Thanos' eyes suddenly opened wide, as if realizing something. He released Lila just as Loki appeared a few feet away. With teeth clenched, the God of Mischief jammed his dagger into one of the tall spindly beings controlling his friends standing opposite to Thanos. He immediately spun and cut the throat of another, making it crumple to the floor as well.

Captain America nearly stumbled forward as the magic grip on him failed. He recovered almost instantly and flung his shield over at Red Skull, jaw clenched. The mutant was hit straight on, sending him flying back.

Hawkeye, Black Widow, Tony, Fandral, and Hogun were also free to move now. Hena scrambled to her feet, pulling out her knives to join the fight.

But, within moments, the two remaining servants of dark magic frantically reorganized who they were controlling. There were far too many Avengers and Asgardians for only two of them to hold. Of the mortals, Captain America was halted first and then Tony.

The black and yellow creatures came running from the hall that they'd almost escaped from. Hawkeye and Black Widow defended Laura, while Fandral, Hena and Hogun struggled to fend off the rest of them.

Loki had been apprehended by several Chitari and based on how easily they took him, he was also being manipulated with magic.

Red Skull got back to his feet and ran over. He tackled Hawkeye to the ground, his blade hitting the floor right next to his head in an attempt to either kill or maim the quick moving operative. Black Widow turned to help, but was snatched black by several Chitari beings. Within moments, the remaining three-Fandral, Hena, and Hogun-were also subdued. There were simply too many for them to defeat every one.

The two darkness-infused beings were straining to hold both of the Odinsons, two Warriors, Hena, Captain America, and Tony. Generally, they only restricted about two people at once, so their power had less control over each person. All of the rest were being held down by Thanos' servants.

Loki in particular was gripped by every limb to keep him still. It looked like that was needed too.

Lila was on the floor in front of the Almighty, crying in pain.

Thor stared at his brother, eyebrows creased anxiously. Thanos did the same, but his gaze was murderous. Loki had stopped moving, wanting to look him right in the face.

"I don't imagine those servants will be easy to replace." he said.

Hena let out a trembling breath as Thanos lowered his chin and glared.

"You...will...pay _dearly_...for that."

"Tell me when." Loki maintained his hateful smugness.

The Titan looked over at the dead bodies of his slaves and then at the whole scene around him. Hawkeye wasn't relenting. He jerked back and forth against Red Skull, face furious.

"Poor Loki." Thanos said, his voice now soft "Given so many chances, but he just never quite fits in. Can't trust Odin, can't be friends with Midgard, Asgard sees him as a frost giant, but here," he paused, taking a step forward "You were a king. Loved and appreciated. I gave you a second chance and you turned it away. In the worst way you could have. Unfortunately for you, we are also the worst ones you could have betrayed."

"Bad habit?" Loki asked, tilting his head to the side insolently. Hena whimpered as she tried to break free. The last thing she wanted was the God's silver tongue to get him into deeper trouble.

Thanos stopped, staring at him thoughtfully.

"Like Odin, I plan on you having a long life, Loki Laufeyson. You will beg for Asgard's law soon enough. How mild that would have been. For once, you're going to wish you were a mortal. You will regret what you did this day."

"Well, I would like to see you try and force me to." Loki leaned at him against the guards, gaze cold "Because you will _never_ make me regret this."

"Loki." Hena said desperately.

"We will see." Thanos replied, his tone still soft "And try I will." he turned his back on the God of Mischief, eyes flicking down to the child who'd fallen unconscious at his feet.

"Take them back to their cell. We'll deal with them later."

Two Chitari had taken Hawkeye from Red Skull, giving the mutant a chance to stand up.

"What of the children?" he asked "Where should I take _them_?" he narrowed his eyes at the frost giant "I'll gladly kill them here."

"Maybe in time." Thanos said before the parents had a chance to protest. He was also looking back at Loki "I think we'll divert our forces to our friend here before we move onto the others."

"No." Hawkeye said sharply, eyes darting between the Almighty and Loki wildly.

"Get them out of here." Thanos said, his voice in an angry whisper.

Hena cried out as she was pulled back by two of the guards. Thor stumbled back, his legs only given half the power they needed to walk.

"Loki, no!" Hena struggled desperately "Let him go!"

"You touch him and all of Asgard will fall upon you!" Thor yelled, trembling with rage.

But Loki never looked away from Thanos, expression cold and defiant.

* * *

Thor was shoved to the floor of the cell as they filed the prisoners back in. They just pushed the last Warrior in and sealed the room as he got to his feet and ran at the door. He slammed his fists into it angrily, sliding them down the wall when it shook from the force. But there was no dent. No evidence that he'd attacked. It was too well protected.

He leaned his forehead against the wall, breathing angrily. Hena stood by him, one hand brought to her forehead anxiously.

Laura and Hawkeye were down on their knees by Lila. Her mother cradled the little girl in her arms as he checked over her for whatever damage Thanos inflicted. She was awake, but only just. Laura talked to her softly, but that was the only sound to come from the room.  
Thor turned, surveying the expressions in the room. They were almost all staring at the floor, defeated and frustrated.

Hena swallowed, eyes wide as her mind raced to find another way to get out of the cell. But the action brought a sting of pain and she moved her hand to her neck.

"Are you alright?" Thor asked, his face still tortured. He was only partially concerned for her right now, distracted by other thoughts.

"It's fine." Hena struggled to keep in control of her voice. It came out rather hoarse because her throat was so tight. She closed her eyes, several tears falling right to the floor.

"He has him, Thor." she whispered.

The God of Thunder blinked, lips pressed together.

"And I couldn't ever reach my father." Hena continued, lowering her face into her hands. She finally let out a gentle sob, shaking her head side to side. She walked over to Thor, embracing him as she cried. He put one arm around her.

Hawkeye watched them, his hand rubbing Lila's arm as she slowly became more and more aware of herself. His two boys were sitting by him, both scared and subdued.

"I shouldn't have to hope for death." Hena murmured, shaking her head.

For a moment, she felt Thor's strong grip falter. Her words brought utter despair to his mind at the fact that she had to hope Loki would be killed rather than remain alive.

They'd been so close to getting away. To allowing the plan to work and being able to warn Asgard and Anaheim of what was coming.

* * *

"It's my fault." Hawkeye said to Laura quietly during their conversation several hours later. Their sense of time had been reset for now. It was unlikely any of the adults would really be able to sleep right now.

The three children, however, had fallen asleep, absolutely exhausted from the horrible past week. Nathaniel's head rested on Black Widow's legs, chest rising and falling calmly.  
Laura lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, eyebrows creased.

"What? Why would you think that?" she whispered in dismay.

"Because I wouldn't follow the plan." Hawkeye said, eyes unfocused "He said he would take care of you if we left you and I didn't believe him."

"Clint." Laura said sadly "You were trying to protect us. Loki being captured is not your fault. He knew what risk he was taking when he helped us."

"But it wouldn't have been a risk if I had listened. I just don't think I could have left you here." Hawkeye replied, shaking his head "That's not what I promised to do when I fell in love with you."

"Clint." Laura said softly, rubbing his shoulder affectionately "No matter what, Loki helping us was for the cause. He cared more about getting you guys out and stopping Thanos than he did about himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done it."

"I'm sure this wasn't the preferred outcome though." Hawkeye muttered.

Laura just hugged him from behind, arms curling up to his chest as she laid against his back. She rocked carefully from side to side. It was so similar to their evenings at home, once the children were all in bed.

Hena sat with her back to the wall, thinking deeply. She had sought comfort from Thor, but he still wasn't her family. Her thumb running over each of her fingernails in turn was the only thing that revealed the horrible turmoil she felt inside. Right now, the only thing she could hope was that Loki could somehow manage to remove the spell that prevented her from communicating with her parents. He'd told her to get out of this horrible compound first, but maybe there was _someway_ he could change that. There had to be.

The Warriors were in a circle, although they were not talking but more than a few words. Sif, the one who had been such a harsh judge when it came to Loki, had a great deal of remorse coming from her. However, Hena didn't feel the slightest bit of satisfaction. It was the elephant in the room between all of them. No one quite wanted to speak of the events, but they all knew what each other was thinking about. The hardest part of all was the fact that it kept on replaying in Hena's mind. If it wasn't in hers, she could see it in someone else's.

Captain America and Thor spoke near the door very quietly. They weren't looking at each other, but kept their eyes rather low. Hena clenched her toes, taking in a deep breath. She wasn't going to try and keep everyone's emotions in check right now. Somethings needed to be felt. Loki had done everything he could to get them out and was now going to pay the price they should have paid.

After a moment of tentative thought, she decided to try and reach out to him. Her telepathic powers had been so blurred before that the sudden severe impression she received was startling. She gasped, jerking forward and putting a hand to her chest.

Thor immediately turned and went over to her, scowling in concern. The others did the same, all shocked at her abrupt outburst.

"Hena, what's wrong?" the God of Thunder asked, getting down by her "What's happened?"

Hena shook her head, suddenly crying so hard no sound was able to escape her mouth. Thor reached and touched her back, eyes distressed.

"Hena?" he demanded.

"He's in pain." Hena sobbed, facing the ground on her hands and knees. Thor pulled his hand back, face falling.

The others shared glances, each realizing what she meant within moments.

"Is he talking to you?" Thor whispered, his voice failing to come as he stared in pure anguish.  
The woman shook her head again, bringing her arms to her stomach as she heaved in a loud, uncontrolled breath.

"I can sense it. Thor, he's in so much _pain_." she whimpered and rolled forward into a protective position, as if feeling some of it herself "Oh God, Loki what are they doing to you?"

 **:)**

 **A chapter for your thoughts?**


	35. Loyalty to the Disloyal

**Sorry for the delay, college is rough sometimes. :) Please enjoy and leave me a review if you would!**

It had been two days. Two days since their failed escape attempt. This time, Hena kept everyone informed of the passing time. In total, about a week had passed from the time they'd been captured by Thanos now.

In their optimistic moments, they talked about how Anaheim and Asgard should have been alerted to their absence now. The false images of them on Earth couldn't have been maintained anymore. Heimdall would be able to see that they were no longer there.

However, even when those moments came, they were followed by the very dreary fact that Asgard couldn't get here. The Bifrost could travel to the nine realms easily, whether Heimdall could view there or not. But when they were realms rarely traveled to, or worse yet, realms Heimdall was completely blind to, it was dangerous and nearly impossible for someone to be sent there. So, Thor had little hope for Asgard coming for them.

Anaheim's intervention was slightly more believable though, because it was so near the dark realm and possible for Valder to get there. But, the cons still seemed to outweigh the pros. It would be dangerous for him to come, especially if he came alone.

Arguments had broken out about this, despite all of them wanting the exact same thing. It was really their pure frustration at being locked up.

And, even without talking about it, they could only imagine what Loki was going through while they sat in this cell. It weighed on their minds like nothing else, causing the contention. They'd avoided thinking about it too deeply at first, but the confirmation from Hena had finally made it real. They couldn't sit in denial any longer.

Hena had wept most of the first night, unable to sleep. By morning (or what they assumed was morning), she appeared to have become numb. Thor couldn't get through to her and only a few others had tried. She'd maintained that for now.

Lila had yet to fully recover from the trauma she'd experienced in Thanos' hands. She'd woken up extremely disoriented and she was constantly shaking, whether out of fear or residual effects from whatever he had done they didn't know. But it wasn't improving at all. One of her parents was constantly holding her. Black Widow and Tony had come up with a few games to keep the two boys busy and it almost seemed to help them as well.

"Alright now, up top." Tony said to Nathaniel, flexed hands hovering above the child so that the palms faced him. The boy, who was sitting cross-legged in front of him, very slowly lifted his own arms and placed his hands as perfectly as he could on the man's.

Tony leaned to inspect it, while Cooper watched in anticipation.

"Ooh, I'm going to have to give that an eighty-six point five." he said, pulling his arms back "Very nicely done. You really should consider becoming a doctor with that kind of precision."

"I don't want to be a doctor." Nathaniel said with a shake of his head.

"Well, very good, you never want to be something you don't like." Tony replied, with an approving gesture at him.

"I'm gonna be an Avenger." Nathaniel said, the last word coming out dramatically.

"Oh." Tony's eyebrows went up.

"And fight bad guys." Nathaniel added.

Hawkeye and Laura glanced at each other with the barest amount of amusement. Hena's first reaction was the same, but it quickly left as it reminded her of Loki. She looked down. He'd been the first one to make the Avengers team necessary, but he was not truly that person. She hardly noticed as Laura came up to her until the woman spoke her name. She turned, not bothering to hide the mist in her eyes.

"Hena, sorry, but, would you be able to try something with Lila?" Laura asked hesitantly "We cannot get her to calm down and we thought that...maybe if you could use your..." she paused, searching for a term other than 'magic.'

But Hena immediately nodded "Yes, absolutely." she followed Laura over and got down on her knees by the child. Lila had her head in her father's lap right now and he was brushing her hair with his hands very lightly.

"She's responsive, but only if you talk directly to her." Laura explained worriedly.

Hena gently took the little girl's hand and spoke.

"Lila, it's Hena." she said kindly "Do you remember me?"

Hawkeye looked down at his daughter. It took a moment, but she did shift her attention to the woman and nod.

"Good. I'm going to do something that should feel nice. I want you to tell me if it does, alright?"  
And, to Laura's relief, some excitement came over Lila's face at the prospect.

"Yes, it should be fun as well." Hena told her with a smile.

Nathaniel peered over, eyebrows up and mouth open. Hawkeye put a finger to his lips to signal him to stay quiet.

Hena watched the little girl's face intently until Lila let out a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and began to breath deeply, despite being fully awake.

Laura looked at Hena in concern.

"I'm calming her." Hena explained "Before I try a more intense emotion."

"Just do what you do." Hawkeye replied with a small shake of his head "As long as it helps."

"I'll try." Hena said "She's just young and I have to make sure I monitor how deep of an emotion is allow her to feel."

"I wish I could help you this way too." Laura said gently.

Hena glanced at her and then slowly nodded her thanks to avoid talking in the moment. She kept her concentration on the little girl.

Now that they knew the guards came and checked the cells every hour or so, they began to listen at the door for it. There would be very faint voices outside, only heard if they really tried hard. Whoever was on watch would try to hear anything that could help them, but it just seemed rather futile. And frustrating. Similar to everything else they did.

* * *

Hena usually slept fitfully when she allowed herself to sleep in the cell. But, tonight was different. Thor had sensibly advised her to try and get some rest. And she was just so mentally exhausted that her mind finally took over and pulled her into deeper sleep.

Lila had responded well to all of her emotional prompts, which gave them some hope. The girl had even enjoyed a small game with her brothers before withdrawing into her nervousness again.

Right now, all Hena could imagine was being at home on Anahiem and her dreams reflected that desire. This was probably the longest she had been away from her beloved realm. It was so peaceful there. Anaheim was filled with forest, the place Hena liked most to retreat to. All of the plants grew so well because of the carefully controlled weather. How Mazi loved to be outside when she didn't have to worry about the sun. And the animals were lovely too. She'd always had a way with them.

Their palace was so grand on the inside. Many people got lost in it their first time. But Hena could trace the way to her room in her mind easily. When she was younger, she had to count the number of windows that came before each turn she had to make. Though, even if she lost her way, there were always guards outside to help.

And their library was quite large, with a section made just for children in it. She'd gone there with her mother so many times and often picked out the same book. But Svleiva had stayed patient with her each time, reading the story and then having her pick another. Hena could recite the book word for word at one point.

The lakes were surrounded by thick greenery that kept them nicely hidden. Mazi sometimes pretended she was on another realm and the enclosed area was her room. It was easy to go there if one wanted privacy. Her little sister would drag her there over and over again and Hena used to get mildly annoyed. However, now it reminded her of being a child and pure enjoyment of life. Mazi was sure to be missing her, even if she had no idea what was going on. Valder and Svleiva were very good at acting like everything was alright in front of their children. They had to be. Otherwise Mazi and Hena would feel it necessary to search their parents minds for the problem. That was a definite downside to their powers.

A very loud and agonized cry jarred Hena from her deep rest. She jerked up to a sitting position, eyes flying open. Heart pounding, she tried to place the sound. For a moment, she wondered if it had been in her dream, but it had sounded far too real.

When she heard the others shuffling, she knew she wasn't the only one who had heard it. She let a bit more light into the room. Everyone looked confused as they tried to figure out what had just happened.

But Thor in particular had a grave look on his face. Hena allowed the sound to replay in her mind several times. She pulled her legs just slightly closer to her body, jaw trembling.

The two of them could easily recognize Loki's cry of pain.

* * *

The room remained awake for the rest of their time allotted for 'night.' No one spoke, but they could tell the others were awake. Thor was the only one to get up on his feet and he paced for a good part of that. He had no doubt that them being able to hear his brother, for however short a time, was intentional. Thanos was mocking them for their failure and the fact that Loki was in his cruel grasp. It was meant to unhinge them.

And that is exactly what it did for the next little while until the guards came around to check the cell again. This time, however, the door was opened.

Despite the cell being lit already, the lights outside were much harsher. Hena squinted for a moment, staring at the two forms coming into the room. There was a man and a woman, both who had the least-threatening look about them that anyone had seen here. But they still didn't look friendly.

"Hena Anaheim?" the woman said "We're here to tend to you."

Hena frowned at them for a moment before realizing they must mean the cut Thanos had made in her neck.

"No. I'm fine." she said coldly. No one else had been checked on when they'd first arrived and plenty of creatures had been left to die here. If Thanos was attempting to make her feel special and valued, he was about to find out how uncooperative she could be.

"We've been ordered to do so." the man said "Forcibly if we must."

"Really?" Hena asked in contempt "Then I guess you'll have to do it forcibly. Because if Thanos thinks he's going to turn me by providing a luxury no one else receives, he's a lot more idiotic than I already thought he was."

So, without another word, the two servants turned and allowed two other guards into the room.

"If you want to fight, then I dare you to approach me." Hena said "I'm sure Thanos wouldn't be pleased if I am hurt beyond what he does with his own hands."

"We don't need to hurt you." the woman replied "You have a lot of expendable friends in here."

The Chitari lifted their weapons towards the others, targeting the mortals more than the Asgardians. Hawkeye put an arm in front of Laura, warily watching them.

"This is a silly fight." the man said "Fighting because we're trying to help you. Don't be stupid. Or I'll have them start shooting at random."

Hena stared angrily, hating every last second of their exploitation. Knowing this was likely a test to see how easily she would comply, but also not willing to risk anyone's lives over this, she put up her hands to signal her resignation.

"Good. Now come forward." the woman said, without having the guards back off yet.

Thor went with her without saying anything and shockingly, there wasn't a protest to that.

Face grudging the whole time, Hena allowed them to help the wound in her neck. They didn't take long, but the blood was cleaned from her skin, leaving the thin cut behind.

"If we have to come back, let's not have this pathetic confrontation again." that was all they said before stepping out of the cell. The Chitari stayed inside, standing on either side of the open door.

Captain America looked at the Anaheimien woman "Hena, if they try to-"

"Well, well, if it isn't my lovely escapees." Red Skull sauntered in, making them all immediately bristle. Hena and Thor took a few steps back as he came closer, smiling as if he would never ever stop.

"If we try to what, Captain America?" he asked in amusement. He let his gaze linger there for a moment before turning it to Hena.

"I'm only here to ask a question. Then I can be on my way." he said.

"You might want to be on your way now." Hawkeye growled, stepping up next to the God of Thunder. He wouldn't forget that Red Skull was the one that had stopped him in the battle. He was finally beginning to understand why Loki and Captain America had such hate reserved for this man.

"Tell me, dear Hena. And be honest." the mutant carried on anyway "What will it truly take for you to offer your powers to us? I'm not saying I can grant whatever it is, but I just want to know."

"You apparently need a refresher on my personality." Hena purposely used Loki's words, however much it made her heart ache.

And it worked. Red Skull blinked, almost as if he wanted to laugh.

"You two really are just perfect for each other, aren't you?" he said under his breath.

"I'm glad." Hena nearly spat at him.

"Is that it?" Red Skull asked, one foot hovering in the air briefly as he went to take another step. He was taunting them, which only meant that the spindly creatures were waiting just outside.

Lila turned away into her mother's side, whimpering at the sight of him.

"Is it Loki? Letting him go would put you on our side?" Red Skull asked.

Hena said nothing. The desire to say yes was most certainly there, but, she couldn't reveal any vulnerability.

"Well, I mean, I might be able to do something about that. He can't be set loose. We have a lot more...conditioning...for him to finish. But, I may be able to convince Thanos to cut that down to...three-fourths...of his remaining pitiful life. Have him killed early."

Hena stayed quiet, lips pressed together. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of goading her into pleading for anything.

"Let my brother go." Thor growled, nearly unable to contain his anger.

"See, _now_ he's your brother." Red Skull replied "No. No. Certainly not. That isn't how it works. He'll stay. He's a humorous spectacle to Thanos. The thing is, people we keep where he is almost always start off with the refusal to scream. They don't like to give us the satisfaction. But, one just has to find what causes the individual the most excruciating pain. Because it really is very unique to each person. Some can't stand the cutting. Some can't stand the burning. Some can't stand the snap of their own bones." he shrugged "But, of course, those are very simplistic measures. It doesn't take long to find what will make them beg." he grinned "Sadly, Loki is acquainted with what we do. Rather stubborn too. Comes from a long life, I suppose. It took a great deal of searching before we found a new method. And, rest assured, have we found a _glorious_ method. I don't think that Loki was quite prepared for it, to be honest. We do switch from tactic to tactic. Just to keep them lively. He's never been one to beg though. So, in time, we'll have to find another way. I'd like to be there when he finally regrets his decision to return to his unloving family."

 _"Just kill_ him!" Hena screamed at the mutate.

Red Skull's eyebrows flew up as if struck by her conviction. She stared him wildly, breaths coming close together. He narrowed his eyes.

"No." he said coldly "Not for a long, long time. I want to see how long it takes us to break him. To shred every last bit of his identity from him. The last time he was here, right after he left Anaheim, we took him near that point, but not past it. No, not quite."

"I don't need my hammer to smash your skull." Thor told him, a warning to stop speaking now.

"And why do you say that? Because it's clear back on Earth?" Red Skull asked with a laugh. His eyes gleamed "Do you want to know what happened here before he was sent to Earth? Do you really want to?" he simply surveyed their expressions for a moment, taking the hate for a confirmation "I'll entertain you because I bet you've been wondering. He came from Anaheim, curious as a child. Albeit, he was anything but naive. He'd studied darkness. He had the upperhand on that when compared to me. And a touch of his studies had rubbed off on him. He was extremely clever and possessed some skill we hadn't seen before. And Thanos wanted him. He couldn't be trusted so quickly, despite his desire for revenge on Asgard. Everyone has to he put through a screening. So, before he even met us, we had him under our wing. His being a frost giant was so entertaining because things that don't normally hurt people, hurt him badly. Took him to the brink of death several times. Then Thanos stepped in to save the day." Red Skull spread his hands "It's best to make him seem the savior. Surprisingly, Loki's personality was still intact after everything we did. He had a certain amount of that revolting Asgardian goodness about him that we needed to bury. His angry feelings for his family just needed a bit of validation and nurturing. And while the scepter was necessary for the mission to Midgard, it certainly helped to have that to remind him of all the horrible things done to him by his precious brother and father. It conditions the mind, you see. Fear not though, he was fully in control of himself when he went to Midgard." Red Skull tilted his head at Thor when he said this.

The God of Thunder just stood with squinted eyes. Loki had been so bitter when he arrived on Earth. So devastated. So sure that his father thought nothing of him.

"If he was a monster, then why not act the part?" the mutate continued "And get revenge for all of the times he was treated as inferior scum. He truly did feel these things. We didn't need to engineer that at all. Unfortunately, however, we never could convince him of anything done by his mother. And even you, Thor, were on the precarious edge. So, we encouraged Loki to kill you the moment he saw you next. He was a fool though and allowed you to talk and get into his head each time. That weak sentiment cost him Earth. Cost him the Tesseract."

"Ruling Midgard was never what Loki wanted." Hena snarled "Revenge, yes, but if he'd wanted Midgard, he would have been able to take it."

"Perhaps, but I doubt that his conviction was what was lacking. Power is very attractive to him."

"No. Approval is." Hena retorted.

Red Skull shrugged "If you want to believe that. But this time. This time, Hena, we don't need to preserve anything about him. We just need him to realize what it means to cross us. We have many techniques that weren't used last time. Oh, Thanos will toy with him for several centuries or more before he decides to drive him to madness. And we'll extend beyond the physical side to do so. With the right method, we can make him fear just about anything. His mother for example. Manipulate his memories of her. Or _you._ " he smiled "How does that sound? Would you like him to fear you, Hena? So your very presence makes him tremble? That would be truly beautiful."

"You're disgusting." Hena whispered.

"Well, then give me an answer to the simple question I asked. What will it take for your powers to become ours?"

Hena glared fiercely at him and suddenly Red Skull stumbled back. He looked around, eyes wide with stark terror. His breathing quickened and he fell to the ground, scrambling away from her. Hena stepped closer, fists clenching.

The Chitari growled savagely, forcing her back. Then she straightened up and Red Skull gasped out in relief. For a moment, he remained where he was, too shocked to move. Then, he got to his feet, staring at her with a paranoid expression. He backed out, nearly tripped as he did so and the door slammed.

Hena turned around, tears sliding down her enraged face. The glow that they had become so accustomed to being around her was gone.

"What happened?" Hawkeye asked warily.

Hena swallowed and inhaled sharply.

"He wanted my powers. So, I gave them to him."

That only seemed to confuse them more for a moment Thor glanced back at the door. The dose of happiness she'd given Tony back on Earth had been powerful enough. He couldn't imagine what it felt like to have pure fear being hurled all at once.

"But...your _glow_. The light around you. It's gone." Fandral said, staring at her.

Hena looked down, trying very hard to remain stoic, but she was obviously upset. Then, she narrowed her eyes again.

"I used my powers with malicious intent. And I don't regret it."

Fandral tilted his head, wondering what she meant by that.

"The light that you could see around me signified innocence and purity. We're born with that on Anaheim, and other realms as well, I'm sure. It offers a layer of protection against some spells, but we lose it when our powers are used for dark purposes. I've maintained mine up until now."

"And you lost it for that?" Fandral asked, tone fading into a bit of uneasiness.

"Yes. Because in that moment, the only thing I wanted was to cause someone else pain. That is malicious in and of itself, even if warranted. Mazi lost hers when she touched the scepter. She had no idea what she was doing, but touching something so tainted with darkness caused the magic to retreat. And Loki..." her voice cracked and she put a fist over her mouth, eyes closed as she regained control. She removed it with a shuddering breath "Loki felt so guilty about that. He thought that perhaps removing the memory would change it. But it doesn't work that way."

Thor pondered her words for a moment before shaking his head "You've done nothing wrong. We have to find a way to get out of here. You have magic and you can magnify our powers. There has to be some way. We have to get to Loki." he walked over to the door as if to examine it.

Hena stayed where she was though, utterly disheartened.


	36. Better to Be Dead

The next few days, the two medical personnel came to check on Hena. No one else. Which she knew was only so that she would begin to feel grateful to the Almighty. But, all it did was make her hate him more. Being treated as superior might be enticing to some people, but not to her. She despised putting others beneath herself. Thanos certainly had a lot to learn. Not that she cared for him to, of course.

However, they were debating on whether or not to use that to their advantage.

When the next guards came into the cell, and they were sure to come, Thor wanted to launch an attack right there. If all of them did it, they were most certainly going to overpower the two Chitari. The possibility of getting out was much slimmer, but with Loki having taken out two of Thanos' lackeys, not all of them could be controlled at once.

"He's going to continue to try and charm me." Hena said during their conversation that morning "And if that doesn't work, he'll try and gain some leverage. Loki was right. My powers are dangerous in the wrong hands, but it has to be my choice to use them."

"You do have a small advantage over Thanos though." Tony replied, making the woman tilt her head. He spread his hands.

"He's gotta give you something you. And I'm sure it'll be something damn good. Use that however you can."

"But, he will be looking out for tricks. He knows that she won't truly be willing. He will not give her something if she could use it to hinder him." Thor responded.

"Then we'll just have to outsmart him." Tony said.

"We're lacking the best person for that." Thor replied solemnly.

After a moment of silence, Captain America spoke, sounding very firm.

"Hena."

She looked at him first before slowly turning.

"Whatever you're threatened with, you can't give in to him." he said "I don't care if he's going to tear me apart, you cannot let him use your power for anything."

Hena briefly scowled at him, but blinked to try and remove it before it was noticeable.

"I'm not saying you don't already know that." Captain America said, gentler than before as if he realized his mistake "But, it's okay. You're not responsible for us."

Others murmured agreement and Hena glanced around. She sighed.

"I'm grateful for your support. I really am. But, it isn't that simple. I can't just stand in apathy while he hurts people I care about. Not my family and not any of you."

"You don't have to. But you can't let it turn you either." Captain America replied.

"I know." Hena sounded frustrated. Not with him, but at the situation "I just want to stay out of that. We need to get out of here before Thanos decides it's necessary. I want to remove the spell barring me from reaching my parents. If I could do that, we would have a chance of getting out of here."

"Another chance." Hawkeye muttered and Laura touched his shoulder.

"Hawkeye...it wasn't your fault." Hena said, staring at him sympathetically. "Don't feel guilty. Please. I don't blame you in the least."  
He hadn't said anything to his friends about it, but Hena could easily read what he was feeling.

The Avenger didn't reply to that, showing that he obviously wasn't willing to forgive himself quite yet.

* * *

The guards came again, but they didn't open the door this time. Thor was set on attacking the next person who came in and it seemed like the others agreed, despite the risk.

Red Skull, happily enough, hadn't shown his face since his incident with Hena. She felt guilty about still feeling satisfied by it. She'd never exerted such a forceful amount of negative energy and, frankly she didn't enjoy it at all. And, while losing her layer of magical protection didn't put her in danger, it was still a blow. Her mother would be quite sorrowful about that. The glow was something sought on Anaheim. Although, it was unlikely that she would have been able to keep it forever.

The one sound they'd heard from Loki was apparently the only one Thanos was going to torment them with. Perhaps that was worse.

Hena had been reaching out to him cautiously, scared of feeling what she had before. But, she received nothing back. She knew that Thanos hadn't stopped because she had not been able to sense anything after Loki's pained cry either. She looked around at the others.

The cell, usually so despondent, was filled with nervous anticipation. If they escaped again, Thanos wouldn't just throw them back in. Hena was worried that their punishment would be inflicted on Loki instead.

"When are we going to go home?" Nathaniel asked abruptly, sounding slightly agitated. He looked up at his mother with furrowed eyebrows. It was as if he'd been counting down and they had just exceeded the time he'd allotted to be patient.

"I'm not sure yet." Laura replied, brushing his hair gently. Cooper was slightly more aware of what was going on, so he stayed silent. Despite all of the horrific things they'd seen so far, his little brother wasn't retaining it.

"It's been so long. You said were going to leave soon." Nathaniel was now indignant "Loki was going to come and get us."

Laura hesitated in her response, mouth shifting a bit as she tried to come up with an answer. Hena listened, refraining from reacting to the child's query.

"He said we were going to go home. And we were good in the room like you said we had to be." Nathaniel continued in accusation. His hands rose to his hips.

"We can play the game again." Tony changed the subject. He may have been the sarcastic one of the mortal group, but he was also very astute. Right now, changing the subject was certainly going to spare Hena and Thor's feelings "If you think you can beat me, that is."

"You lost every time." Nathaniel said smugly.

"Yeah, well I've been practicing." Tony retorted.

The boy very nearly rolled his eyes as he walked back over to the man.

"Loki came to your cell?" Hawkeye asked Laura quietly, gaze following his son.

His wife nodded a few times "I mean, I don't know if it was really him. He can make illusions...right?"

Without looking over, Thor just nodded at the ground. Hena herself agreed verbally.

"What did he tell you was going to happen?" Hawkeye asked fervently.

"That he was going to let the rest of you out and we needed to stay for a few more days. He told that to the children. He told _me_ it could be longer." she sighed "I did take him at his word. He said he knew it seemed wrong and I think he could tell I didn't quite believe him. He-or his magic...picture-made sure I agreed before he went ahead with the plan. I'm not sure how long we had been here before you guys showed up at the door."

"I bet it was hard to keep them calm all by yourself." Black Widow said honestly, referring to the children. Laura nodded, looking at her husband. Hawkeye kept his gaze down upon hearing her explain what she'd seen.

A sound outside the room made Thor push off from the back wall suddenly, eyes wide. They stared at the door. It was too soon for the guards to be making their rounds. But, if the doors were opening, Thor wanted to be ready now. The others moved forward ever so slightly, except Hawkeye and Black Widow, who remained back with Laura.

"How shall we attack?" Fandral asked quietly, his stance indicating he was fully ready to fight.

"Let them come in first. Remember what Loki said. They will not be merciful. So neither can we." Thor replied, his voice hard. Fandral stared at him a moment before nodding in agreement.

The next few moments passed tensely, everyone ready to apprehend whoever came through the door.

There was a faint crash from outside, making them jump slightly. Thor couldn't believe his ears. He knew that sound. For a moment, he stood still, completely paralyzed.

"Get away from the door." he said quickly, backing up himself. He ushered Hena back too.

"What's wrong?" Captain America asked sharply.

Then the door was illuminated with a bright light. It increased in brilliance until it burst through, sending some pieces clattering to the ground.

Thor blinked down at the ground to relieve his eyes of the spots. Then he looked up with an open mouth.

Odin stood there, chin raised and looking far more suited for battle than he had in a long time. He had on armor, yes, but no frailty masked his features. Gungnir settled back down to his side.

"Father?" Thor asked in bewilderment, almost not believing it was true.

"All of you, come. We are leaving NOW." the king commanded, pointing his staff out. He backed up, eyes searching the halls vigilantly as they did as he said.

"How did you come here?" Thor asked, looking down at the two dead Chitari on the ground. They must have been on patrol.

"The Bifrost cannot reach this realm. I used other means." Odin replied, examining all of them.

Thor blinked. Rarely did his father summon dark magic, but this was the second time in the last two years. He'd used it to send Thor to Earth when the bridge had been broken. It was always a dangerous action, but he apparently found it necessary for this fight. His son opened his mouth to ask how he found them, but Odin interrupted.

"Where is Loki?" he asked, finding that they lacked a few members of their group.

"He's here." Thor said quickly, desperate to explain.

"I know." Odin cut him off again "He called Heimdall."

Thor brought his chin back in shock.

"What? How? Heimdall cannot see this realm-"

"Loki must have managed to withdraw the forces they have protecting it from our view." Odin said "It was only for a brief moment. We waited for a moment where Heimdall would be able to see again, but it did not come. So, I traveled here. Where is he?"

"He's..." Thor's mind raced as he tried to find a way to explain everything that had happened. That Loki was indeed on their side, although it hadn't appeared that way. That he had tricked Thanos. But he paused for too long and Hena stepped forward, lips pressed firmly together.

"Thanos came to Midgard and captured us. He controls several of the infamous beings that have devoted themselves to dark magic. I'm sure you've come across them before. They possess great skill and not of which is very easily fought. In fact, I'm not sure that it can be. That is how they brought us here." she paused briefly to glance at Thor "To deceive Thanos and help us, Loki acted as though he intended to be his servant again. And he fooled all of us as well for a time being. He was waiting until we had a viable way to escape. But we were found before we broke out." Finally, after all of her strong words, she faltered a bit "Loki tried stop it, but Thanos apprehended him. And imprisoned us again."

Thor nodded along with her explanation. Loki had always been the talented one with words, not him.

Odin's gaze faded to comprehension when she finished.

"Is he dead?" he asked seriously "Heimdall said he was wounded when he summoned him."

Hena noticeably flinched. Captain America looked down both directions of the hall, listening but also making sure they were not going to be ambushed. Hawkeye was holding Lila and Laura had Nathaniel in her arms, both keeping their children close. Cooper stood with Black Widow, subdued and still rather traumatized from their last escape.

"He is not dead." Thor replied, answering as far as he knew "But Thanos has him and Valhalla only knows what he's doing to him."

Odin turned to all of them without responding to his son "You're missing another as well."

"That have Banner here too. And we know where." Captain America replied, then winced as he thought about it "Well, we almost do."

"Then, we'll find him. Hena, I must ask you to bring your father here. He can take us to your realm." Odin said, turning and allowing the others to fall in behind him.

"I cannot reach my father. Loki had to inhibit my powers when he brought us here." Hena replied in distress.

Odin hit the haft of Gungnir to the floor, letting the thud echo in the hall.

"I have rescinded that action. You may call him now."

Hena hesitated for a moment as he continued down the hall without another word. Thor had never been able to understand the seemingly boundless power of Gungnir and his father. It had to have its limits, but he had never seen them.

"I am not leaving here without Loki." Hena said adamantly, staying in her place.

"Neither am I." Odin replied steadily, slowing for a moment to look back at her. Then he returned to his path. Hena exhaled anxiously.

"The guards will know where he is." Thor said, keeping pace with his father.

"So, are we just busting our way out? Loud and proud? Is that the plan?" Tony asked, holding out a hand towards him "I mean, I'm just lacking a few supplies if we're going to fight."

"I don't intend to fight today. But if I must, I will." Odin replied. Tony dropped his arm in faint annoyance, as if he wanted more than that. Obviously the king didn't expect help from them right now.

"Where do you suppose they're keeping our weapons?" Volstagg asked, reminding Thor of his own problem.

"My hammer will not come." he said immediately, staring at his father intently. He didn't try to answer his friend's question "How could they have done this? Loki does not have that power."

"I suspect they suppressed your call, not Mjolnir itself. And I do not believe it was Loki." Odin replied "We will fix that soon enough."

So, Thor fell quiet and allowed his father to lead them. It was almost as if he knew his way around the massive compound.

He looked over at Hena. By the look of her face, she had reached her parents. She stared blankly ahead with tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. Thor could only guess what kind of conversation she was having.

Odin and Thor stopped at the sound of the familiar growl. When they had gotten out last time, there hadn't been many patrols. Just as Loki planned. But, it now appeared that the weird black and yellow creatures were meant to prowl everywhere.

When they came into sight, everyone tensed, but Odin simply pointed and waved Gungnir through all of them. It killed each of them without a sound, even as they slumped to the floor.

Captain America and Tony stared with utter disbelief. It wasn't hard to see why Asgard was regarded as the leader of not only the nine realms, but others as well. And feared by most.

"Do you know what those are?" Thor asked quietly, peering at them foreboding "They're not smart, but they attack relentlessly. Without concern for their own lives. They don't leave a moment to retaliate."

"They are mindless servants belonging to a species called the Outriders." Odin replied, his own eye examining their dead bodies  
"Which makes them dangerous. They are blood hunters and they will not stop but for their master's voice."

"So, Thanos only." Thor said grimly.

"They are lethal when you face them in quantities far larger than your own, but not creatures meant to rival Asgardians alone. To fight them, you cannot relent. Or you put your life in jeopardy."

Thor looked at him in surprise as he nearly repeated Loki's own advice. Odin looked back down the hall, wielding Gungir rather warningly. For a moment, the quiet murmurings were hardly audible, but whoever should come would see the dead guards and sound an alarm guaranteed. Odin and Thor went forward, pace for pace. The Warriors walked behind as they had done many times.

Without Mjolnir, Thor was still a threat to be concerned with. He stopped at the cross of the hallway, waiting until the beings came into view. They sounded more sentient and spoke English from what he could tell. And that was exactly what they needed.

As soon as a hint of skin appeared, Thor stepped to knock one of them out cold with simple, yet powerful hit. The man fell to the ground just as the other one-a woman-pulled out a sword with a clang to face Thor. Too late however, she noticed the others, and was seized by Hogun and Volstagg. She thrashed furiously, sending herself flying up for a moment. They dragged her back down and she only finally began to simmer when Odin rested Gungnir a few inches from her chest.

Thor looked in between the man and woman for a moment. They were the healers that had come multiple times for Hena. Sey and Then were their names. Neither of them were very pleasant, and Thor had no personal grudge against them, but right now, his blood was boiling.

"Where is my brother?" he spat at her, unable to wait for Odin to speak.

Sey glared back up at him. Volstagg had a firm hand over her mouth, so she wasn't able to respond, but she knew their general intention.

"Yell and I will not hesitate to end your life as you would not hesitate to end ours." Odin said calmly "Now, speak."

Volstagg removed his hand, but Sey sneered.

"Where is Loki being held?" Odin asked again, his voice becoming very threatening.

"You must be Odin. I see. The forsaken father." she said "Come to save the day. Loki would be surprised you came for him. Or is that a facade so that you can keep your status as the protector of the nine realms? Well, Odin, I will tell you one thing. I may be a medical maid, but I did not hesitate to put heat on that frost giant's treacherous skin." she raised her chin "You'd better kill me. I'd much rather die than face his fate."

Thor resisted the urge to slap her across the face.

"Where is he?" Odin repeated, the movement of his staff still making her flinch, despite her words. She remained defiant, obviously ready to die in that moment.

"I have it." Hena said earnestly "I know where he is."

Thor blinked over at her in shock, but Odin didn't show surprise.

"And Banner?" the king asked, using the mortal's name.

Sey's eyes widened slightly at Hena, able to deduce what she was doing.

"He has been moved from here. Prepared on a ship. They intend to use him against us." the Anaheimien princess said, looking more and more worried as she spoke. Upon that, Sey fell back from a sudden magical force from Gungnir. She now looked the same as her brother a few feet away.

"Then we will meet him at the inevitable war." Odin said, staff moving back to his side.

"He's dangerous. We don't want him as our enemy." Captain America replied firmly.

"I suspect he will be very safe in their hands. They intend to use him, so we will retrieve him when we fight." Odin said.

And no one protested after that. It couldn't be changed. Loki was in far worse danger.

"Lead us." Odin told Hena. It may have sounded commanding, but it was really a respectful gesture. She didn't need to be told twice. He stayed close behind her, aware that none of them were armed. They were all skilled, but very vulnerable without their weapons.

"He's below ground." Hena said, sounding as if rehearsing something in her mind. Then she reverted back to herself "They have a level dedicated to..." she didn't finish her sentence  
Odin did not react, but nodded her on quickly. Thor didn't know if his father was aware of what Thanos was really like, but he himself was certainly desperate to get to Loki. And Hena's expression showed the shame.

"There are no stairs, but the floor gradually descends to the bottom level." she said tightly.

"At least he was considerate of those in wheelchairs." Tony grunted, but it was not acknowledged by most of them.

Thor knew that his father was not cruel, nor savage, but he did not hold back when they came across any of the Outriders or Chitari. He killed them before they even had a chance to turn to the group. And, given the circumstances, no one judged him.

"This way. It will lead us down." Hena said, sounding nervous. They had passed the spacious room Thanos had originally caught them in. This was the place both the Almighty and Red Skull had come from when they were apprehended.

"I don't suspect the chamber will be heavily guarded, but be on your watch." Odin spoke to all of them.

"I will watch the rear." Fandral said solemnly "They would like nothing more than to ambush us."

"Thanos will be occupied elsewhere for the time being." Odin said.

Thor blinked as he walked. There wasn't a way his father could have brought soldiers with him. It was impossible. But, he must have created another disturbance elsewhere on the realm. That was the only explanation.

As they slowly descended, the air grew much colder. The smell of death was distinctive, particularly when one recognized it well. When they came to a sealed door, Odin lifted Gungir to send a stream of energy right into it.

Up ahead was a crossroad where two Chitari were beginning to pass each other on patrol. Hearing the noise, they instantly spotted the invaders. But both fell backwards to the floor in seconds.

"Which cell?" Odin asked, speaking to Hena.

She nodded down the hall, eyes scared.

"In the far back." she said, walking forward through the rummage of the desimated door.

"I can feel him." she quickened her pace, causing the others to do so as well. The floor had stains of long dried dark blood, but some also looked fresh. Hawkeye stepped around one, holding Lila's head down so that she wouldn't have to see any of it.

Hena barely looked down the corridors she passed, causing the others to pause briefly to check. But there were not more guards here. Odin had been correct. Thanos would never have imagined the King of Asgard himself would be in their realm. Who could so easy slay his loyal guards without being detected.

"This one." Hena said, stopping in front of the last door and staring at it intently. She was freezing in the icy cold air. Frankly, everyone felt chilled, but she was the only one they could see shivering.

"It's protected by a charm." Hena said, holding out a hand to it. The invisible barrier seemed to repel any contact with it. Odin may have tried to do something himself, but she held put out both of her hands and closed her eyes. After several moments, the air lit up with orange waves, showing exactly where the barrier extended. It was like a wall across all of the cells, with a gap in between where there was no door.

Odin looked up warily as it began to shine brighter in front of their particular cell.

"Hena, be cautious." he warned.

But she didn't stop, forcing the energy of the spell to grow stronger and stronger until with a loud hissing sound, it suddenly seemed to disperse. She opened her eyes, mouth open a bit as she watched.

Odin observed that silently, keeping his expression neutral. The door to the cell opened and he quickly stepped forward.

There was a horrible wave of heat that exploded from the room. It was a stark contrast to just a few steps away where the temperature was likely below freezing. Though it felt briefly good, it was horribly hot and dry air.

Thor almost had to turn his face away from the warmth as he entered. The two temperatures mingled to slowly create more moderate air.  
The cell was dark and it extended a lot farther than they expected. The light from the hall did not extend as it should have, prevented by some spell.

Hena created the same light she had in their confines, trying to see beyond a few feet. Then she drew in a sharp breath and hurried forward only to be stopped by something.

Odin walked further in after her, halting at the same place. There was a boundary there that prevented them from going forward. It was light, as if not much strength was available to be put into it, but Hena could not sense any familiar incantation there. Not something she could touch with magic.

Odin narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Frigga." he said softly, but firmly "It is Odin. We're here to help him."

Then, after a moment's pause as if considering his words, the protective constraint lifted with a gold shimmer. Thor stared, taking deep breaths. Then he lifted his gaze.

"Loki!" he exclaimed in a whisper. But his brother did not respond.

He was dangling from chains around his bound wrists, feet just barely able to scrape the ground if he stretched hard enough. Blood streaked his upper arms from where the shackles bit into his wrists.

Thor arrived beside him, eyes wide in horror, but Loki was not awake. His head hung below his shoulders, causing his arms even more weight. In the dim light, they could see his garments were torn in multiple places, but most presently across his back. There were deep, long slashes that no longer bled.

"Hold him." Odin ordered and raised Gungnir.

Captain America went forward to Thor's side and took ahold of the God of Mischief. Odin waved the staff, sending a blast that severed the binds holding the frost giant up.

The tension released and the two men very carefully lowered Loki to the ground where Hena got down beside him.

"Loki." she whispered, placing two hands on his cheeks.

But he remained motionless and unresponsive, eyes closed. His face and arms glistened with sweat. They understood now. The basement was cold for most prisoners, but that wouldn't do anything to this particular inmate. His room was hot even for Asgardians.

Hawkeye murmured something to Black Widow and Laura. He handed off Lila and the two women retreated outside with the kids.  
Odin slowly knelt down by his adopted son, expression grave.

There were ragged blue marks all up and down Loki's body, seeping blood and clear fluid. The same one that Thor had seen him obtain from Red Skull. He'd seen how much pain it had caused his brother then. But these looked worse. The skin looked as though it had been completely burned away.

And cuts laced his arms. Some very long, wide and almost intricate. Others with jagged borders as if done on a whim.

The wounds on his back were deep, likely from a barbed scourge. Bruises surrounded the slices and were on most of his body as well. They covered his hands, particularly the joints.  
Hena looked down at him with tears in her eyes. His throat was currently bleeding, having been cut much like hers had. But, there were several lines across it, showing that it had happened multiple times.

Odin set Gungnir aside on the floor and extended a hand. He gingerly placed it on the side of Loki's head, as if trying to sense something.

Several seconds later, the frost giant drew in a deep shuddering breath. His eyes opened partway, before his whole face clenched in pain. Hena leaned back slightly. Odin kept one hand gripping his shoulder as Loki attempted to push himself up. But his arms trembled too violently, the muscles exhausted from trying to prevent the manacles from cutting into his wrist as he hung.

From that vantage point, they could see another wound just below his chest. It looked closer to a stab wound than anything.

Loki heaved in a breath and then coughed, a raspy moan escaping him. Dark red came to his lips as he coughed in pain again, spattering blood on the ground. Hena flinched, one hand reaching out fearfully.

Odin tightly held his arm as Loki suddenly jerked forcefully. He vaguely looked as though he was trying to fight back, but was far too weak. He was already slipping back into unconsciousness.

The king slowly helped him back to the ground and placed his hand on the Jotun's head again. Loki's breathing deepened again, however uneven it was.

Hena looked at Odin anxiously "Can you feel that?"

He nodded, without moving his eyes.

"What?" Thor asked.

"They've poisoned him." Hena leaned over Loki, voice shaking "Made him take poison."

"Not quite a lethal dose." Odin replied grimly.

Thor looked in between them, unsure of what to say.

"Unless they have been slowly feeding him an antidote." Hena muttered. Odin nodded soberly.

"I'll carry him." Thor said immediately, getting down.

"Not you. We'll need you to call Mjolnir and fight when we are out." Odin replied.

"I'll do it then." Captain America spoke up right after, eyes lifting from Loki.

"You must lead your own team. Volstagg." Odin looked over at the Warrior. The man stepped forward, completely willing to oblige. The king moved back and allowed the man to pick up Loki. The hidden Jotun didn't stir even at the movement. It looked as though Odin had woken him up to see if there was any possible way he was strong enough to walk. But that had been a unlikely hope. The extent of torture could never be seen just from the outward appearance, which was bad enough already.

"We need to get him to the healers on Anaheim." Hena said, her voice shaky.

"Asgard would be better. They are more familiar with him." Odin replied.

Hena glanced once over at him, eyebrows creased as if she felt she should be surprised at his thoughtfulness. But, the truth was, she wasn't. So, she just nodded at him affirmatively.

"Let's move. Quickly." Odin said.

"My father will come." Hena told them "He is pinpointing our position."

"Good." the king replied with a similar confirmatory gesture.

Hawkeye watched as Volstagg and Thor exited first, followed by Odin and Hena. The largest Warrior made Loki look very fragile right now.

"I don't mean to bring this up at a wrong time." Hawkeye said "But, if there's a fight, we'll want our weapons. I have no idea where they're keeping them."

"Loki brought them out last time." Captain America muttered. That seemed so long ago now. Finding their weapons so neatly lined on the floor for them to take.

"I can try and see if Loki knows." Hena suggested, sounding nervous "His memories should show."

"Do that. Then we must leave." Odin said definitively.

Volstagg turned to Hena, as if she needed to be able to reach Loki. She didn't really, but making contact always made it easier. She placed one hand so very gently on his head. He'd been treated so horribly, the last thing she wanted to do was make him feel like he was being hurt anymore.

"The first time they took them," Hena spoke slowly "they were put in a secured room on an upper level. That's where they store any confiscated weaponry. He wouldn't know where they have them this time if they were moved, but I doubt they were."

"We can return for those at a later time if necessary." Odin said "I don't think it would be wise to retrieve them now while they are paranoid from your earlier escape attempt."

Hawkeye accepted that without complaint, but he didn't feel entirely comfortable. Their weapons had not helped them before, but two of Thanos' lap dogs were dead now. Some of them would have the chance to fight if it came to that again.

As Odin took the lead, Thor stayed back to walk by Volstagg and Hena. Fandral, Sif and Hogun walked right behind them. He stared at Loki, feeling a sudden surge of absolute despair. It faded within a few moments, but fury took its place. Red Skull had already indicated that this wasn't the first time his brother had been put through their hell. Thor had no doubt that Loki had chosen many things, but he also now believed that his brother had been exploited in any and every way possible. After a moment, he slipped up next to his father.

"What did Heimdall see when Loki called him?" he asked.

"Everything here." Odin replied, surveying the dead Chitari they passed them "All of you, as well as Loki. Little detail."

"How was he able to call Heimdall?" Thor scowled in confusion "If they had an enchantment over this place-"

"Loki would have been familiar with what they used." Odin reminded him "Heimdall maintains much of his focus on the nine realms. It would not be difficult to hide from him."

"I don't know why Loki didn't do that in the first place then." Thor said.

"He likely didn't want to alert Thanos or anyone else here to the fact that he was deceiving them." Odin replied, answering his son's every demanding query with eery calm "That no longer mattered when he was discovered."

"He tried to get us out." Thor said, wanting the king to understand that "Sincerely. And his plan was brilliant. But, when it failed...he...he would have been desperate for another way."

"Which is exactly what Heimdall saw. Loki couldn't maintain contact with him for more than a few moments." Odin replied.

"When I get my hammer..." Thor didn't finish his pointless threat, ending with a spit of air.

"Continue to call her. She may yet find her way here." his father replied pointedly.

They traveled back up to the main level, leaving the freezing air behind them. No one in their group was suited for such cold temperatures except Loki. It was an unnatural cold, much like the one the Warriors and Thor remembered feeling in Jotunheim. And, in all honesty, it could have been just that. Loki had been here before. Perhaps he'd used the abilities he hated so much for Thanos.

To everyone's surprise, Odin went a different way then they had been taken by the Chitari. He didn't ask Hena about her father again, but they both seemed to have come to a mutual understanding. This place had strong protections. It would be extremely difficult to penetrate Thanos' base directly. They would have to meet them outside of these walls.

Fandral continued to monitor the path behind them, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized any hint of movement. Hogun had fallen in step with him to do the same.

They avoided the Outriders, as Odin had called them, when possible. They had a good sense of hearing, but their sight was limited. Asgard's king easily took their lives when it became necessary.

The technology that they had on their realm was more advanced than Earth's. Asgard did not use it, but their power extended over machinery. That was the real reason why Thanos had stayed out of their sight until he had gained enough power to rival theirs. Not all of the beings under his command had natural power and strength like he did. But, weakening the universe's borders wasn't something any light realms had foreseen.

Fortunately, however, Odin's power seemed to be enough to cripple their watchful eyes. He couldn't hide their position as Loki would be able to, but he had other techniques he could employ.

"Outside." finally, Hena spoke. Quietly, but earnestly "He can come for us farther away from this place. We just need to get out and I can tell him where to come."

"We are near." Odin replied and Thor breathed out in relief.

They could easily deceive Thanos and escape when their captors were blissfully unaware. Their technology could be overridden and the guards could be killed. They just had to remain under the radar.

Hena kept one eye on Loki as she spoke back and forth with her father. He needed help now and she wanted healers to be ready the moment they got there.

Thor suddenly felt a draft of colder air and tensed. Odin continued on, rounding the corner and coming to a stop.

The door to the outside was already open. And about five Chitari guards stood in the entrance. They turned about halfway before Odin waved Gungnir through all of them, cutting off their attempted warning cry.

Thor's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as his father slowly walked forward again. Hawkeye pulled Lila up higher in his arms warily.

"They're still outside." Odin said, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He didn't seem to have been expecting this and that sound pleasant to anyone.

"Be cautious as we travel." the king continued "You are noteworthy prisoners. Thanos will not send footmen to retrieve you. He will come himself."

"So we've experienced." Hawkeye replied bitterly, one hand on the back of his daughter's head. Though they would get Loki help first, he was looking forward to see if a trained doctor on Anaheim could help Lila. Hena's power had done wonders while she held it, but faded quickly after. That was only on a small scale. Perhaps with Hena helping the healers as well. He was willing to try anything.

They walked out into the barren wasteland, finally leaving that horrendous place behind. They had left a trail of death in their wake, despite many of the guards having been obliterated out of existence entirely.

Hena kept her lips pressed together in fervent prayer that her father would be able to get there sooner rather than later. Odin may have allowed her open communication with Valder, but it was still fuzzy compared to how easy it used to be. She hoped that wasn't permanent.  
Cooper and Nathaniel were kept far from each other this time. Laura held the younger boy. Even though she hated to bring memories back to his head, she did remind him of what happened last time he and Cooper fought. Those memories would repeat themselves if she didn't. Luckily, her older son was being dutifully quiet.

Thor's hand opened every few moments, trying to get his hammer to return to his hand. It didn't feel different compared to calling it back any other time, so he couldn't be sure when or if his power would work. Once on Anaheim, he wanted to go right to Earth and get the weapon. He felt useless without it. No matter how strong he was, regretfully, he did rely on Mjolnir.

Loki's eyes suddenly flickered open with a sharp inhalation, making Volstagg stop briefly in surprise. Odin looked back with a scowl.

A blue light similar to that of the scepter was upon them suddenly. The surge of power hit the ground near them, and would have sent them flying farther if Gungnir had not countered part of it. The king reacting as fast as he did was astounding, given they had little to no warning.

Thor's feet scraped the ground as he got up, stunned that another attack hadn't followed.  
It wasn't just similar; it WAS the scepter. In Red Skull's grasp. Either he meant to miss or he was nowhere near as familiar with it as Loki.  
At that reminder, Thor turned to look for his brother, knowing full well that it was impossible his friends hadn't been knocked from their feet as well.

Red Skull was approaching them from their right, looking concentrated. He was completely alone. At least, for a moment. Then Thanos seemed to materialize from nowhere. He held another object with the same eery glow. The power of the tesseract allowed for travel through realms, but somehow they seemed to have manipulated these objects to do the same, despite only having a fraction of the Space Stone's power. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind the weakening of the borders. In the darkness, The Almighty's fist also glowed bright purple.

He was glaring at them, looking much more strained than he had the first time he saw them. Whatever Odin had done to distract them obviously worked.

Hena immediately stepped forward, focusing all of her power on Red Skull. She knew he was vulnerable now.

The mutant instantly froze, facing contorting in sudden fear. But, they must have been prepared for that because Thanos held up his fist and teleported his soldier elsewhere.  
Unfortunately, that location was right within the middle of their disoriented group. Their attention was on Thanos, allowing Red Skull a chance to get to one person in particular. He was gone before they knew what happened, taking the God of Mischief with him. Hena and Thor protested in utter confusion.

A shout from either Odin or Thanos broke through the commotion. The group was behind the Asgardian king, watching with open mouths and eyes.

The two leaders were at a stand off, neither breaking the eye contact. Odin wielded Gungnir warningly, which was enough to make Thanos hold back.

"And the King of Asgard himself comes to save the day." the Almighty murmured. He made no movement otherwise.

"Your attempt on the realms of this sphere is at an end." Odin said adamantly, his jaw tight "My forces are aware of your endeavors and the nine realms will see that they cease immediately."

Thanos regarded him with the first wary expression they'd seen.

"Asgard seems to have lived in ignorance for a long time." he said coolly "And suddenly, you send your son and his frost giant aide to Earth to protect it? I think it's time you returned to the safety of your throne and allowed a new king to rule the realms?"

The remaining two aliens stepped from behind Thanos as Red Skull returned to his side. He had Loki, whom he put behind the two creatures with a smile. As the spindly hands were raised towards them, Odin hit Gungnir fiercely on the ground. The creatures remained in the same position, but their power did nothing to constrain the mortals and Asgardians. Thanos watched in silence, but he obviously hadn't expected that.

"You gave Loki's abilities a great deal of heed when they were used for your bidding." Odin replied "You're going to find many realms ready to stand against you. You face more than Asgard."

Hena stared desperately at what she could see of Loki. He was mostly blocked from her, but she could tell he was at Red Skull's feet. The former mortal smiled at her, as if he knew something she did not.

"Not if I take them one by one." Thanos said "Asgard stands without their leader. And they will kneel before me in your absence."

Thor looked around as several of the Outriders began to crawl forward from behind the Titan. They were snarling impatiently as they waited for the order to rip apart their enemies. Then the God of Thunder looked back at Thanos. He wasn't going to allow his brother to stay in their hands. And it seemed that's where Odin's attention was as well.

"I see now where Loki learned his misunderstanding of ruling." the king said coldly "You know nothing of what it means to be a king. And that is why you will never be one. Lay another hand on my son and I'll see that you face the wrath of eternal Hel. And you're well aware that I can carry that out."

Thanos briefly lowered his eyes towards the God of Mischief.

"He's just a traitor, Odin. Or is he only _your_ traitor?" he asked "I asked him if he was strong enough to join my children. He would have been if not for the meddling by all of you."

Hena's breath caught angrily in her throat as she glared over.

"But, if you wish, I can send him home." Thanos continued "Red Skull can take him there now. Remind everyone there what he's done to them. How he tricked and killed their king. How he tried to obliterate their entire race. That would be quite fitting I think."

Thor's mind raced, realizing in that moment that he meant Jotunheim. Loki's home to him meant Asgard, but the Almighty was mocking them now.

"I'll make him seem the hero he is, don't worry." Red Skull himself spoke, crouching down beside Loki. Odin's eyes broadened ever so slightly. But, a moment later, everyone's gaze narrowed as a sudden bright light began forming between both groups.

"Go!" Thanos commanded. The Outriders began running forward, letting out screeches that made everyone's ears ring. Red Skull vanished with Loki, also heeding his master's word.

Valder and multiple guards materialized from the vivid shine, ready for immediate battle. The residual power that always remained after their transportation sent a wave of the ugly creatures flying back, but hundreds were still rapidly approaching.

"Hena!" Valder looked around desperately as he called his daughter's name.

Hena opened her mouth in a distressed cry, relieved, but mortified that Loki had just disappeared before their eyes.

"Kill them all." Thanos ordered angrily to his servants, backing up from the fight himself. He didn't want to face Gungnir's master and now another king just yet.

"Everyone, gather together now!" Valder yelled tensely, staring straight at the onslaught of enemies. They did as they were told and Anaheim's leader's gaze surveyed them briefly.

"Where's Loki?" he demanded.

"Not here now." Odin replied sharply "Take us to Anaheim."

Faced with the alternative, Valder did as he suggested and lifted his staff. Within seconds, they all dissipated into the glow, leaving a large group of Outriders to converge on their abandoned spot.

 **Sorry for the delay! College sucks! :)**

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	37. Anaheim and Asgard

Thor jerked at their sudden change in scenery. He stared around, drawing in deep, rapid breaths. They were surrounded by guards with spears pointed at them, obviously prepared for an enemy. Once they saw there were none though, they all lowered their weapons in unison.

They were in a large hall, much like Asgard's throne room, but the walls that enclosed the sides did not have columns lined up and down them. There were slats halfway up that opened to the outside, allowing light in.

Where the throne was on Asgard, on Anaheim there was nothing but a beautiful gold marbling up and down the wall. On either side of it, there were narrower corridors that extended to form a "T" shape with the main hall. Svleiva stood there, eyes extremely anxious as the group slowly pulled apart.

Hena immediately broke down at the sight of her mother. She ran over, sobbing something unintelligible.

Thor looked at his own father, still not able to grasp what had occurred only moments before.

"Is anyone hurt?" Valder asked quickly, walking over to his wife.

A few spoke allowed, but most of them just shook their heads, exhausted by everything that had happened within the space of a few hours.

Svleiva stroked her daughter's hair as she held her, trying to console her without knowing why she had to do so.

Valder turned to them, suspecting the reason. His eyes begged it not to be true.

"What happened? Where is Loki?" he asked "You vanished from Midgard more than a week ago."

"Thanos was behind this." Odin said, taking steps over to the king and queen. He put his gaze on the others, gaze urgent "You need to tell them everything. In detail. We need to act now."

"We need to get to Jotunheim." Hena said, pulling from her mother as she struggled to contain her despair.

"Jotunheim?" Valder echoed in confusion before Odin could say anything "That is where Thanos intends to go? Hena, I need to know what happened. From the beginning. Please."

"Thanos came to Earth." Thor said, hoping it would make her take up the story. She could recall it better than anyone with her powers. And luck was on his side.

"He came with telekinetic disciples. The dark ones that do not think for themselves." Hena said, knowing her parents would fully understand that. They'd all learned about them at some point or another.

"Under his command?" Valder asked.

She nodded in distress, eyes closing briefly "He connected with the power of the scepter and opened a portal strong enough to transport himself to Midgard. The force of it left me and several others unconscious. He-" Hena had to catch her breath, mouth trembling "He said he came to get Loki back and...Loki...Loki went with him."

Svleiva's face immediately fell to horror, but the princess didn't slow.

"We thought he betrayed us, but he went with Thanos to make himself look trustworthy. He did it to try and learn what he could to help us escape. He was going to meet us at the war so he could help us defeat these damned beings." Hena shook her head as the sobs returned with more force than ever "He got us from our prison, but Thanos found us and found out Loki. He took him. Dad...dad they tortured him. They tortured him for days."

"That was when he made contact with Heimdall." Odin took up the explanation from her as she faltered. Although his first statement almost seemed to be to himself "I transported myself to the realm to bring them here."

"We found Loki, but Thanos got him back." Hena said, voice rising unintentionally as she nearly cut off the king "He had a servant send him to Jotunheim. And that's where he is now."

Valder stared at her with an expression that suggested he could hardly comprehend the explanation. Then he looked at Odin worriedly. The two kings met gazes, both aware of something few others were. Svleiva looked on before reaching one hand after her daughter. She placed it on her shoulder softly.

"You traveled to Midgard." Hena said intently, staring at her father desperately "Surely you can travel to Jotunheim too!"

Thor blinked in sudden realization. Could they not get to Jotunheim? No, that couldn't be possible. They had to be able to get to Loki.

Odin inclined his head subtly, but urgently to Valder, indicating they should speak in private. Anaheim's king shifted slightly to follow him.

"Hena, what magic do you hold over Thor?" he asked suddenly, surveying the God of Thunder. He could see that she had forged some sort of connection between them.

His daughter took in a deep breath as Thor instinctively looked down at his hand. The mark was still there, dark and potent as ever.

"You have not created a life bond." Valder said, voice incredulous as he gazed at his daughter and slowly shook his head. Odin's brow furrowed.

"It was necessary." Hena replied. She was certain of that, yet her voice still shook.

"For what purpose? Why did you do this?" Valder demanded "You cannot put your life into another's hands."

"I put it between Loki, Thor, and myself. Odin and Loki fought and I was worried Loki would do something drastic! But, with this on them, he was forced to look out for Thor and Thor after him. I did it as a precaution." Hena said.

Valder stared at her, eyes livid.

"And then you were sent right to Thanos' hands? Do you have any idea what position you put yourself in?"

"Having it on us while we were there kept Thanos from killing Thor! And perhaps Loki as well!" Hena replied indignantly.

"Remove it." Valder said firmly "Now."

"I need to leave it!" Hena replied adamantly "Thanos has tried to gain my loyalty. He wants me on his side and that means he wants me alive! That protects Thor! If we tell Thanos that my power is over Loki, he may go to Jotunheim himself!"

"I will not risk your life like that. Take it off." Valder ordered.

"Father!" Hena glared at him angrily.

 _"Hena!"_ Valder nearly shouted, making the woman shrink back a bit. He so rarely rose his voice at her. His eyes narrowed.

"Remove the bind. _Now_." he snapped.

Hena turned from him and walked over to Thor. With her lips pressed together, she took the God's hand. With a very brief glow, the mark between his thumb and pointer finger vanished. He looked up at her, mouth open a bit, but she whirled around from all of them and began walking down the hall, not bothering to hold back tears.

"Hena." Valder said tightly, hoping to stop her, but she continued on.

Svleiva shot a brief glance at her husband.

"I'll go after her. You two speak." she said quietly, before taking some steps after her daughter. Valder nodded tensely. He and Odin turned away from the others.

Thor still looked down at his hand, confused and anxious about what they were doing. Why weren't they leaving to get Loki? They had to leave as soon as possible. If Red Skull truly revealed what he'd done to them, his brother would not be in the Jotun's good graces.

"Is she alright?" that was Adden who stepped up. It took them a moment to realize he was speaking to Laura and Hawkeye. He was gazing at Lila.

"No." Laura shook her head as she set Nathaniel on the ground "Thanos hurt her somehow."

"I'll escort you to the healers." Adden said, beckoning her "They can help her."

Hawkeye glanced at the others briefly. Then, he nodded at the man.

* * *

Hena held her arms close to her chest as she stared down at the common homes. She leaned on the wall that came just to her stomach, eyes red. She was just outside the palace and down the steps, not far from where they had originally arrived.

Her mother had just left, having comforted her to the best of her ability. Both the king and queen had been desperately worried, but there was little time to convey that. Valder was usually very gentle with them and his sharpness made Hena more anxious than ever. She just needed them to find Loki. After that, she didn't care if they were going to attack or hold back. She just wanted to find Loki.

While Odin and Valder spoke, Thor and the Warriors came outside. The other mortals were not far behind.

Hena waited nervously as they approached. But, she turned as they got closer.

"Have they said anything?" she asked worriedly.

Thor shook his head "They haven't come back yet."

Hena let out a deep breath, the knot in her stomach twisting further.

"What are they discussing?" Thor was obviously lost. But he knew Hena knew something, so he asked very hesitantly.

Hena swallowed, eyes closing briefly "Do you know the history between our realms?"

Thor nodded "They fought once. Our leaders disagreed with each other."

"Thor." Hena said quietly, making him pause "They fought, but made a resolution to end it there." she turned away, voice fading a bit "Anaheim would not go to the nine realms and Asgard would not come here." she sighed, looking down "Asgard forbade us from traveling to any of their realms. Our travel is restricted. We cannot get to Asgard or Jotunheim from here."

Thor stared at her, the realization flooding his gaze.

"But you came to Earth." he said.

"Midgard doesn't have strong protections because it is run by mortals. And the weakening of the borders made it so we could sense Loki there. That is why our fathers met there and not on Anaheim or Asgard. Your watchman cannot see here as required by Anaheimien law. And my father cannot go to Asgard."

"So, we are stuck here?" Fandral asked, hands rising to his hips "But we do not know where Thanos is heading! He could be attacking any realm and we wouldn't know it!"

"And Jotunheim will kill Loki." Hogun said gruffly. Hena exhaled shakily.

"But what about Midgard?" Sif asked "Your father can take us to Midgard and then Heimdall can take us home."

Instantly, they almost all brightened, but Hena remained sober.

"They will have already explored that. I suspect my father cannot get to Midgard any longer." she said softly "Thanos would have made sure of that."

"Can Odin lift the restrictions?" Captain America spoke from behind them. Thor stepped back slightly to allow them space. Hena hesitated and then looked to the God of Thunder for answers. He sighed.

"I don't know. But I believe to change a law in Asgard, you must be within the borders of Asgard."

Captain America folded him arms thoughtfully.

"He's not strong enough to do anything." Hena said numbly "They tried to destroy him in the space of a few days. I've never seen him so weak. His magic so inert. The Jotuns will sense that."

"But maybe they won't want him dead?" Fandral asked quietly "At least not right off."

Hena winced. It hurt that being optimistic right now meant they had to hope for prolonged torture. Just like when they took Loki the first time. She honestly had no idea what Jotunheim would do, but she could hardly imagine their method of punishment was anything like Asgard or Anaheim's. The hell Loki would be going through now was almost too painful to try and think about.

"Is it possible for Anaheim to lift the restrictions on Heimdall's sight?" Fandral asked, trying to change the subject from that particular matter.

"In time. I just don't know how quickly that could be done. It may even require permission from Asgard's council along with the king." Hena suddenly turned towards the palace as movement caught her eye. She brought in a quick breath as she saw Mazi there.

The little girl waved excitedly before hurrying down the steps. She hopped down the last two dramatically and then raced over.

"You're back!" she exclaimed "Finally! I have been waiting forever and so have mother and father! You guys brought King Odin here too. And everyone else! We have never had so many visitors before."

Which was untrue. They'd just never had so many visitors that _she_ knew personally. Hena forcibly smiled at her sister.

"What happened to Lila? Is she sick?" Mazi asked, sounding sad.

"I am not sure. That is why they took her to the healers. They'll know." Hena replied.

"Well, I want to play with her when she is better." Mazi informed her. Her eyes brightened "Where is Loki?"

It fell silent as Hena hesitated and the others shared a brief glance.

"He's not here yet." her older sister said gently, keeping her response vague. Mazi frowned unhappily.

"Why not? He didn't come back to Anaheim when he said he would last time. Does he only want to see us on Midgard and Asgard?"

"No, he would love to see you anywhere, Mazi." Hena replied earnestly "He wants to come to Anaheim, I promise. He just isn't here yet."

"Then he needs to hurry up because I want to play!" Mazi said dramatically.

"I'm sure he does too!" Hena said in amusement. Valder and Svleiva had been even more strict in their monitoring of Mazi's powers since the incident with the scepter. As such, the little girl reading everyone's minds wasn't a worry.

"Are you coming back?" Mazi asked, tipping her head to the side and beckoning her sister.

"Um. Yes." Hena said slowly, her uneasiness beginning to show "Just in a moment."

"Mother and Father were worried about you while you were gone." Mazi said seriously nodding her head. She squinted mischievously "They aren't letting me use all my powers right now, but I can still use some."

"Well, I'm glad you're practicing. Just listen to Mother and Father. They know what's best." Hena replied.

"But reading minds is fun!" Mazi protested.

"I know. I felt the same way at first, but it's better to learn when to temper it." Hena replied gently.

A quiet whistle came from the palace, although they couldn't see the person doing it. Mazi immediately glanced over, instinctually responding to the sound.

"Go. I'll be there in a moment." Hena assured her, urging her sister on.

So, with a frustrated sigh, Mazi turned around and quickly bolted back up the steps.

"There has to be a way to get through to Asgard." Hena muttered as she watched the little girl leave "Open a portal. Something."

"Unfortunately, we don't have the expert in that area here with us." Tony replied.

Hena heaved in a quick breath and then let it out soberly "He would know. He would be able to find a way." she glanced at the palace.

* * *

Svleiva called her children back, knowing that action would bring everyone with them. Odin and Valder were still contemplating a few things, but she could tell from their expressions and energy that they didn't have hopeful news. Sensing their emotions, both of them were quite agitated.

Mazi arrived first, speeding into the room as if her life depended on how fast she got there.

"Hello!" she said and then gave a very serious bow.

Valder inclined his head in a playful response and Svleiva shook her head with a small smile.

"What do you need?" the little girl asked pointedly.

"We're going to speak to the others. I need you to go to your room for a little while." Valder said "Likely we won't be long."

"Why can't I listen?" Mazi asked, sounding disconcerted.

"I may be able to tell you later, but for now, we need to speak alone." Valder replied steadily.  
Adden, having returned from taking the Bartons to the healing room, walked over to Mazi. She sighed and began to follow him down the hall.

Odin watched her leave, expression thoughtful and solemn, as if recalling memories. It faded, though, when Hena and Thor showed up together, followed by the others.

"Is Hawkeye still with the...healers?" Captain America asked, obviously trying to speak their language.

Svleiva nodded "They are tending to the girl. Do you know what happened to her?"

"Not really. Thanos just touched her with his hand and it seemed to hurt her somehow." Captain America responded solemnly.

"We'll do our best to help, but mortals are not in our expertise." Svleiva replied with a dip of her head. She turned to her husband and Odin, allowing them to take over. However, Hena did instead.

"Can we get to Jotunheim?" she asked intently.

Valder paused and then exhaled slowly.

"No. There is no way for either of us to get there. If we can find a way to get to Asgard, that will be different. But, right now, we cannot."

His tone was controlled as he said it, but Hena could sense his worry underneath.

"Then what can we do?" she asked, remaining as calm and dignified as she could. Valder shook his head, mouth open as he tried to come up with something.

"We cannot sit here and wait. Loki is suffering because he tried to help us. I cannot remain here like this while he is in Jotunheim alone and in pain." Hena said firmly, her voice cracking.

"Hena," Odin spoke, both moderate and steady "I am going to explore every possible way to get to Jotunheim. But while that happens, the best action is to search for Thanos. He has manipulated our ability to travel between the realms. If we can find him, we will be able to get to Loki."

"But, time is not with us." now it was Thor who spoke. Odin shifted his gaze to him, the vehement words slightly unexpected.

"The Jotuns are going to want revenge. If Red Skull has told them that it was Loki who tricked them and tried to destroy their realm, he won't survive the day let alone the time it will take us to find Thanos." Thor knew there was nothing they could do, but he couldn't help but express his frustration and fear.

"Would they risk killing him?" Valder asked, eyes flicking between them "They would not want to kill a Prince of Asgard. They know your forces would retaliate. That it would start a war."

"We are not on any terms with Jotunheim." Odin replied quietly, sounding weary "If Laufey were alive, leniency and diplomacy would be more probable. He would refrain from taking action until he knew more. But, without that, they will seek blood for Loki's offenses against them. I doubt they will have any regard for our revenge. They want war."

"Then they'll keep him alive just like Thanos did." Thor said tensely. Odin kept his gaze on him until Valder spoke.

"Hena, what can you sense from him?" Anaheim's king asked.

Thor's eyebrows went up as he turned to her. Hena shook her head anxiously "Very little. He was not able to communicate with me while he was in Thanos' hands. It is the same now. He does not have the strength." she let out a deep breath "At one point, I felt his pain. I'm terrified to feel that again. But, I will try and sense what I can."

"You do not need to." Svleiva told her, reaching out a hand to touch her daughter on the shoulder "I have a bond with Loki's mind as well. Not as strong as yours, but it will suffice for now. I will monitor, not you."

Hena took a moment to reply because the emotion almost overtook her. She managed a nod.

"Do we have any idea where Thanos is now?" Captain America asked slowly, not wanting to take away from their concern.

"We're reaching out to our surrounding realms to try and locate him. I pray it is sufficient." Valder replied.

"Loki said he was coming here." Hena said quickly, as if suddenly remembering. She inhaled "When we tried to escape the first time, he revealed that Thanos wanted to come here. He wants to use me, mother and Mazi to increase his power. Then he will attempt to take the eight realms and finally Asgard. The rest will be at his leisure."

That immediately gained both king's attention.

"Do you know when this will take place? Did Loki?" Odin asked pointedly.

"No, but it sounded as though it would happen soon after we left. Loki intended to come here with Thanos and assist us then. They were under the assumption that he was going to take control of you." she nodded at her father "And then have you convince us to help them as well."

"If they thought that would work, they are easily fooled." Svleiva stated.

"We need to prepare for battle." Valder said, jaw tight "Firo!" he turned to one of the men standing guard down the corridor "Get Adden and tell him we need to get ready for an invasion. I want every commonfolk warned and our defenses assembled."

Captain America stood in silence, but the fact that Valder was going to announce the threat to the entire realm was quite shocking. They'd done the absolute opposite on Earth.

"Mother." Hena said shakily. The queen glanced at her, eyebrows raised in concern.

"Have you...ever seen the book Gateways Amid Realms?"

After a moment's thought, Svleiva shook her head.

"No, but it is possible we may have it here. Why do you want it?"

"Loki was reading it and I think he's read it multiple times. It may help us to find alternate methods of getting to Jotunheim or Asgard." Hena said.

"Those can be very dangerous." Svleiva replied grimly.

"Portals, yes, but pathways are generally safe. If we could find one, we wouldn't need to use any magic to travel." Hena maintained.

"Have you learned how to sense these breaks in the borders?" Odin asked.

"No, but Loki had to have developed the skill at some point. And that book would likely be a good place to start. If there is a connection between Jotunheim and Asgard, there has to be a connection between Anaheim and Asgard, and by extension, Jotunheim and Anaheim. Perhaps even Midgard." Hena replied "I did my best to learn from him what I could while there. I saw some of his thoughts, however blocked they were. He never has been able to explain how he can feel portals opening, but if I could learn, it will be all the more to our advantage."

"It will be harder than you believe." Odin cautioned "I would only be able to do what Loki does as far as portals are concerned on a small scale. I am not saying you should not try, but you cannot place the entire burden of retrieving Loki on your own shoulders. Your father and I take that responsibility."

"I can see that Loki warned you about learning the things that he did." Valder spoke, looking at his daughter solemnly "And I have to do the same. Thanos will have you over my dead body, but the more you know, the higher the risk climbs."

"But, I can't let that prevent me from helping our _own_ side." Hena protested.

"No, but you are putting too much pressure on yourself." Svleiva replied peaceably.

"You didn't see him!" Hena nearly wailed at her mother. She lowered her trembling hands, which had extended in frustration.

"You don't understand. Loki wouldn't let them hurt me and he wouldn't let Thanos kill Hawkeye's daughter. That's why he got captured. Red Skull came and mocked us because of what they were doing to him. He's poisoned and likely already dying! And he deserves none of this!"

"The poison should not take ahold of him yet. He is not fully Aesir, but he possesses the resilience." Odin said in reply as both of the Anaheimien leaders took in the new information "That will not take his life right now. If we can find a way to communicate to Asgard before we can travel to Jotunheim, I will have a message and a warning sent to them. Until then, try and keep your fears at bay."

 **Please review you guys! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it made my heart sing!**


	38. Does He Know?

The entire realm had been in mild chaos the night before after the warning from Valder. But, now, in the early morning, it had simmered back down. There were more guards on patrol around the common homes and the supervision of the border had increased dramatically. Thanos wouldn't be getting in undetected. That was certain.

Hena pulled her sheets tighter around her frame, eyebrows furrowing slightly. She opened her eyes, feeling very numb and nauseous. It took all took brief of a moment before she remembered with a sharp stab of fear. The intense emotion faded quickly, but she would not be able to relax again until the next evening when sleep claimed her. It had only been about seven hours since the group had finally separated for the night. But, seven hours to them would feel substantially longer to Loki in Jotunheim.

As Hena dressed and left her rooms, she hesitantly reached out to him. Her mother had advised against it, but Hena was too anxious to refrain.

However, she couldn't pick up anything from Loki, other than knowing he was alive. The distance between Anaheim and Jotunheim was farther than Anaheim to most of the nine realms. The borders were not as weak as Midgard's had been when she'd sensed him there. Their mind connection had grown stronger even in their brief time together, but it was hard to maintain when one was so weak.

"Hena."

She nearly jumped as she turned to see Thor. He was approaching her from down the hall. She imagined he wanted to talk with her, but this place was also unfamiliar. He wouldn't want to get lost.

"Have you spoken to your parents this morning?" he asked, his voice forcibly plain.

She shook her head "No, I haven't seen them. But, they'll probably be in the dining hall."

"The others too then." Thor said, falling in pace with her. They walked together in silence. She felt smaller than ever as she traveled beside the broad shouldered Asgardian. His face always seemed to rest in a sad and worried state, though he was really just deep in thought.

They came to what must have been the dining room and Hena pulled open the two doors. A guard immediately moved back and out of their way, having heard them approaching and intending to open it for them.

Svleiva looked up, eyebrows raised. Fandral and Volstagg were both in there with her, along with Hawkeye and Captain America. Laura was sitting a little ways off with the children. Their quiet conversations hushed briefly before continuing.

The table was lined with different foods and delicacies that would hopefully suit anyone who came to their realm. Fruit was probably the most abundant.

"Did you rest?" Svleiva asked, peering closely at her daughter as she approached. The queen was just lightly beginning to show a rounded stomach from the child she was carrying.

"Yes. Not well. But, yes." Hena replied honestly. She glanced at the table, realizing how hungry was at the moment. It had been a while since they'd had a proper meal. Then she returned her gaze to her mother "Where is father?"

"In his rooms. He remained awake with Odin through the night. They are desperate to get to Jotunheim. Along with worrying for the potential battle here."

"Have they found anything at all?" Hena asked numbly.

"Nothing of consequence. They've exhausted several methods already. They have not stopped since we parted last eve." Svleiva replied sadly "If Odin were in Asgard among his own power, I believe he would risk summoning dark magic again. But, he cannot do so on Anaheim. And your father cannot travel to the nine realms without permission. Even if he were to use the alternate power."

"Then all we can do is try and find a pathway from here to Jotunheim." even as she said this vehemently, Hena knew that chance was close to none.

Svleiva watched her countenance fall with a mother's eyes.

"Don't give up hope. The two of them may yet come up with a way to get here. They are intuitive about these things. And, fatherly protectiveness rules both their actions."

Thor stared at her silently, glad and surprised to hear her say that. Neither of Hena's parents had seemed to have a favorable view of Odin the last time he'd seem them on Earth.

"They're returning to the Thanos' realm to get the weapons taken from you." Svleiva continued "Sometime soon."

"Going back?" Hena echoed in concern.

"Yes. We cannot attack Thanos with the numbers we have. We can only prepare. Now that your father has been there, he can more easily sense his position."

"Father is going?" Hena sounded even more scared now.

"Not him. But, it is not a confrontational venture. They should not be fighting."

Captain America opened his mouth as if to volunteer, but stopped. Hawkeye glanced at him, waiting for him to speak, but the soldier seemed to be rethinking.

"Eat something." Svleiva invited quietly "I'll go and see if they have come any further."

Hena didn't move as her mother slid past her, actually wanting to go with her. But she stayed where she was.

"How is Lila?" she asked "Were they able to help?"

After a moment of silence, Hawkeye glanced over, realizing she was talking to him.

"Oh. Yes, it did for a little bit. They were able to do something similar to what you did, but she didn't stay that way. They said they'll keep monitoring her."

"They're very investigative. I'm sure they'll be able to remedy whatever Thanos did." Hena said gently.

Hawkeye nodded, but he didn't look as certain.

The guard by the door reached to open it again. This time, it took a moment before Mazi appeared in the doorway. Her eyes brightened as she saw Laura and all three of her friends at the table.

"Lila!" she said happily, beginning to walk over.

Fortunately, the sound of the voice roused Lila from her silent, nervous stupor. She turned from her mother as the princess came up.

"I'm so glad you were able to come to Anaheim!" Mazi exclaimed excitedly "I told you we have the best fruit."

Laura nodded at her with a smile as Cooper and Nathaniel stepped up.

"How do you live in such a big house?" Nathaniel asked bluntly, eyeing the walls.

"We have lots of things we have to do in here!" Mazi replied with a hint of reprimand. She twirled briefly, arms raised to show how grand the room was. Then, she got onto one of the chairs and stood tall.

"This-"

"Mazi." Hena said sternly "Don't stand on that."

Her sister glanced back swiftly before getting down with a sigh.

"I forgot you were in here."

"Mother, Father or I are always around, don't worry." Hena replied teasingly "Besides, that doesn't seem like good rule following."

"Apparently I could improve." Mazi said with a nod. She looked back at the mortals "I have been wanting the lemonade you guys have. We don't make that here, which is sad. I will just have to go to Midgard all of the time."

"You're welcome at our house." Laura told her in amusement.

"Thank you!" Mazi replied boldly. Then she moved her gaze directly to Lila curiously.

"Do you want to come with me? I can show you around all of Anaheim."

"She isn't feeling very good right now." Laura replied "Hopefully she'll be better later today."

"I want to go." Lila said with a very faint sound of indignation. Her mother looked down in surprise.

Hawkeye drew in a deep breath. That was a good sign.

Hena smiled as Mazi beckoned her friends eagerly.

"I can show you the other children too. We can all play in the pools and go into the forest!"

"Not right now. It might best if you stayed in the palace." Hena suggested.

"Daddy has sent out a lot of soldiers." Mazi observed. Her eyes widened in a broad smile "We are very safe!"

"Yes, we are." Hena chuckled lightly at her sister's enthusiasm. There was good in every situation to her.

Laura helped Lila from the chair and steadied her for a moment. But, then all of the children were on their way. Mazi somehow seemed to understand that the mortal girl wasn't quite ready for anything too intense. She walked by her, talking in a hushed tone. Hena watched, feeling very warm towards her sister right then.

"I'm going to go and see my father." Thor said, backing up from the table. He hadn't touched a thing on it.

"Perhaps you shouldn't bother them now. Svleiva will tell us if anything has changed." Fandral ventured.

"I need to know what they're planning. My hammer has still not returned. War right now would be very dangerous for all of us, but we'll fare better if I can get it back. And then I'll use it to kill Thanos." Thor replied quietly, stepping back and turning towards the door.

"Do you think he knows?" Hena asked, looking at the ground.

The God of Thunder paused, unsure of whom she was speaking.

"Loki." Hena said, looking as if a thought were really weighing her down "Do you think he knows we came for him?"

"To get him from Thanos?" Thor asked, turning back slightly. He blinked, scowled, and kept out a loud exhalation.

"I hadn't thought otherwise. Do you have a reason to think he did not?"

"I'm just afraid that this is the case. He wouldn't have been aware of our absence either way. But I want him to know we came."

"He would have been able to sense us, wouldn't he?" Volstagg asked "Even if he was not fully conscious."

"I believe so. He woke at Odin's touch. Surely that would mean he recognized it. But, I do not know how much power he was able to exert." she looked over at Thor "I just want him to know that we came. That Odin came for him."

"If he doesn't know now, he'll know when we find him." Thor replied firmly.

Hena didn't reply and after a moment, he realized what she was inferring.

"He's not going to die there." he said firmly "He stayed on our side when the easier decision would have been to go with Thanos. He gave everything he had to get us out. And now I'm going to do the same."

* * *

"We've called in the bordering realms. They should be here within the next day. They will be ready to fight when we are. Their populations are far smaller than ours, however. They will not lend as much aid as any of the nine realms could." Valder said, writing something on the bottom of a piece of parchment. He handed it over to one of Adden's men and they exited the room to deliver it to the intended party.

Odin's eye followed him briefly before flicking back to Valder.

"I'm hoping that Thanos decides to look the other way right now. He may not want to come here after the interaction we had. He won't know we are ill-prepared for an all out war. Unless he has spies among the realms. What more do you know of the invasions you have sensed?"

Anaheim's leader shook his head slowly "They stopped this past week. I feared the worst for Hena and the others when that happened."

"When did you first notice they were missing from Midgard?" the question wasn't particularly pertinent to anything, but Odin was curious how well the God of Death could hide his actions.

"A few days after we left. We cannot look to Midgard, but Hena would not respond to our attempts to communicate with her. We made to return to Earth, but could not. That was when we knew something was wrong. I was trying to send word to Asgard, but...that avenue is rather difficult. As you know."

"Perhaps after this, we can reconcile that." Odin replied with a nod.

"I think that would be best." Valder said, turning slightly to another guard entering the room.

"Prince Thor is outside." he said. Odin's eyebrows rose.

"Send him in." Valder replied, beckoning with his hand. The soldier retreated to do just that without another word.

"I believe I know what he wants to address." Odin waited with his gaze on the door.

"His hammer." Valder said grimly and the Allfather nodded.

They stood in silence until Thor appeared in the doorway. He didn't hesitate as he came in, even though he was entering a king's private quarters. He was more sensitive and humble now, but he could very much improve on his prudence in many situations.

"Thor." Odin said in acknowledgement.

"Sorry for the interruption." the God of Thunder replied, redeeming himself a bit as he addressed Valder more than his father "But, with the possibility of war on this realm at any given moment, I need to speak with both of you."

"Mjolnir." Odin said plainly, allowing Thor to skip the introduction "Whatever bind Thanos holds over your capability to call her, I cannot break it. Traveling to Midgard when we can will change that."

"Have you found a way?" Thor interest perked noticeably.

"No. Not yet." Odin said shortly "But Midgard will be the easiest one to access out of any of the nine realms. For now, you'll just have to make due without your hammer."

"Then nothing more on reaching Loki." Thor just made the statement, although it was really an invitation for an update.

"No." Odin replied with a slight glance away.

"My wife and Hena will try and monitor, but Jotunheim is quite far away." Valder added "Well they update me, I will be sure to update everyone else. And, if we breach Midgard, you'll be the first to know. We have a unit ready to travel to Jotunheim when we do."

"May I request to be part of that team?" Thor asked.

"Yes, I intended that. Adden has volunteered to lead, but if you are to join, both of you can collaborate." Valder said, nodding.

Thor left his gaze on his own father for a moment, wondering why he was as reserved as he was acting. This was not his realm, but that would not normally make him so distant.

So, the God of Thunder excused himself and allowed them to return to their conversation.

* * *

"This part of the realm actually looks a lot like your land on Midgard." Hena said, pointing over towards a distant forested area. She smiled slightly "It was a bit surprising when I got there because I had only ever heard of the heavily populated places in your realm. I suppose I should have imagined that there would be quiet places as well."

It was around midday now and although Anaheim was still preparing, the anxiety across the realm had faded. Valder and Odin finally left the palace and came out to speak with the passing guards. They gave them each instructions as they passed, spreading updates to their defense plan every time.

Laura stared in the same direction, arms folded as she thought.

"Well, honestly, Earth-or...Midgard-is a little bit messed up right now. Nowhere near as organized and united as Anaheim seems. Clint was saying how impressive it was that your father could issue a warning to all the citizens and it didn't cause a mass panic."

Hena drew in a deep breath and raised her eyebrows "Our people are very mild-mannered, so I suppose a panic would look different. They're definitely scared. But, every citizen is required to be armed here. To prevent any one person or family from poisoning the throne or in cases like this where there could be an attack."

Mazi had lead the children around Anaheim, but she'd stopped to play in the courtyard where Laura and Hena were. The Warriors and a few of the other mortals were there too, but they were having their own conversations. Thor was not with either group. He stood nearby his friends, but his face indicated he was ruminating over their situation. So, they left him be.

"Mazi!" Cooper called her over. The princess was talking to Lila, but at the boy's insistent beckoning, she finally turned to him.

Hena and Laura both had to grin at the look on her face.

"Maybe they'll get married after all. They annoy each other enough." Hawkeye said, noticing it as well. Laura glanced over at him in stern amusement.

"Yes, you do get annoying." she replied.

"Hey, whoa. Shots fired." Hawkeye said, putting his hands up innocently. Finally, the solemn group let out a laugh at the vague insults between the spouses.

"Why'd you keep this one a secret for so long, Hawkeye?" Captain America asked, eyebrows up with a small smile.

"Hey, hey." the SHIELD agent kept his hands up pointedly as he looked at the group indignantly "I'll tell you the real thing we need to focus on here. I revealed a big secret. Now it's everyone else's turn. That's right, give something up."

"I'm a virgin." Tony replied plainly.

Svleiva made a slight glance in his direction, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"And, my hair isn't naturally red, this is food coloring." Black Widow said, tilting her head smugly.

"You already knew about them. I would have opted out of this whole secret revealation thing if I were you." Tony replied "But, Rogers. Rogers needs a turn."

Captain America looked at him and then back forward, lips pursing a bit.

"Come now, one petty secret?" Tony asked.

"Why does it have to be petty?" Volstagg asked in return. He honestly was a very loyal and kind man, but sometimes his mind was a little dense.

"You missed the part where we kid with each other." Tony said, then cleared his throat loudly.  
Hena breathed out in a faint laugh, but turned her eyes to the newly approaching guards. Even though the invisible invasions of Anaheim had stopped, she still felt wary of any and all soldiers. It would not be hard to impersonate one of them. So, she was consistently reading and scrutinizing minds. To her relief, all of them were real and loyal citizens so far.

"Dad, watch!" Nathaniel demanded. He did a rather rough forward somersault before jumping to his feet and swinging his arms wildly like he was fighting an enemy.

"Wow, impressive." Hawkeye said, with just the right amount of sincerity.

Hena's mouth curved as she watched all of the children begin to alternate doing their tricks for the adults. Cooper and Nathaniel in particular were competing for their father's approval. She had to give the mortal credit. He was very good at validating one without degrading the other. Although, after this last experience, Cooper was being a much nicer older brother.

As it neared Mazi's turn, she began rubbing her hands together in anticipation. Hena's happy smile broadened as she released a butterfly with a quick blow through her mouth. She'd mastered that skill for sure. It never failed to impress the other children.

But as Hena watched the fluttering illusion, her face slowly darkened and she glanced down at the ground. After a moment, she backed up and turned around from the show, looking sick.

Svleiva watched her as she passed, eyes concerned. But her daughter didn't say anything. She just walked towards the palace in silence.

 **Thanks for reading! You guys are so awesome! Happy Thanksgiving! *hugs***


	39. Losing a Warrior

**I know I a lot of people hate Odin, but I never have. I have always liked him. However, I can also understand why people have such strong feelings too. Enjoy the chapter!**

"How many people did they send in to get them?" Captain America asked intently, staring at Thor and his friends.

"Not many. The less there are, the easier they can get in." the God of Thunder replied.

"One of us should have gone with them. If they're getting OUR weapons." Captain America said, his hand pointedly emphatically to himself.

"I think they'll have enough trouble without us on their tails." Tony pointed out with a shrug. He waved a hand "Let it go. They'll get back safe and sound in a little while and all your...complaining will have done...hmm, let's see, nothing."

"You're okay with sending men we don't even know back to that place?" Captain America asked "Worse yet, to get the stuff taken from us?"

"I'm good with following orders." Tony stared down at his phone, jaw shifted as he thought. He looked up at Thor "You guys have cell phone service in Asgard? Because they suck at it here."

Thor just frowned briefly, but looked back at Captain America, who still appeared disgruntled.

"What about the guards?" he asked "Did we ever hear from them?"

"Loki took control of them with the scepter when he left Earth. When the Anaheimien guards returned here for report, Valder had not heard from Hena. Then their path to Midgard was barred, so they could not send more. The Asgardian guards were brought home by Heimdall. He could still see Loki's illusions on Earth, so he did send more. But, they returned to Asgard once they realized we were missing. None of them were ever in Thanos' hands."

"Good. Five less casualties." Tony replied.

"Hopefully it stays at zero." Captain America said grimly.

It was early afternoon the next day and Valder and Odin had not had any success in breaking the restrictions to Asgard. They had, however, decided to send soldiers to Thanos' base for their lost items. Neither Odin nor Valder seemed to even the slightest bit concerned that there would be danger, which was confusing to everyone. And Captain America wasn't satisfied.

At least Hena was being kept busy. Mazi was running her rampant with games. They were currently playing hide and seek, although the boundaries were set fairly tight. They didn't really want to lose a child somewhere in Anaheim right now. This realm didn't have Heimdall to find them quickly.

Thor had given the news of the retrieval mission, but he was supposed to go back to talk to his father soon. The Allfather wanted to hear anything and everything he could about their experience with the God of Death. Anything that could help them find a weakness or vulnerability.

"You haven't found them yet?" that was Mazi. They couldn't see her, but it sounded like she was just down the hill a few feet in front of them. Surrounding most of the palace grounds was a tall, magically enforced wall, but the front side was completely accessible. Many sets of steps led up to the area where Thor and the others stood. There was an outstanding ledge just a few feet away, which was where the king and queen would make announcements to the realm.

Hena appeared on the left side of it as she walked up the stairs.

"They are good at hiding." Mazi said, sounding a lot less enthusiastic than she should have at the moment.

"Yes, especially because this is a new place." Hena replied, noticing her sister's solemn voice.  
The girl kept walking for a moment, before Hena stopped her.

"What's wrong, Mazi?" she asked in concern.

The princess paused a moment and then turned with a sigh.

"I want to play this with Loki. Everyone keeps telling me he is coming, but it is taking a longer time than normal."

Hena pressed her lips together, but Mazi didn't stop.

"Why is he not coming? He didn't come back to Anaheim the last time." she said, just sounding sad "I am starting to think he doesn't like it here as much as he tells me."

"No, he does." Hena assured her, trying not to react too earnestly to make her sister suspect deception "He was doing something else important. Mother and Father are trying to get him here now. Remember how we were able to get to Midgard when that is usually impossible? It has become harder again. But, he would want to be here. I promise."

"What about Odin?" Mazi asked hopefully "He can help to get him here."

"He is helping as well." Hena replied gently "They're all trying very hard. But, don't worry. Loki wouldn't miss out on playing with you for anything."

"Maybe I can help them?" Mazi asked eagerly "We can all use our powers to make Odin and Dad stronger to bring him here!"

"I'll suggest it and see what they think." Hena replied with a few nods.

"Good. Now, let us keep searching." Mazi said, sounding more mischievous again, despite her formal words.

* * *

Valder had left the conference hall several moments before, leaving Odin there to work with the Anaheimien representatives. Though Valder and Svleiva ultimately had final say on the loosening of borders and restrictions on Asgard's sight, it was easier to gain favor and permission from the court. If Odin were in Asgard, getting a distress message there would be easier. But no one but the king on Asgard interacted with the outer realms. If getting them all to an unfamiliar realm with no way to communicate elsewhere had been Thanos' plan, it was absolutely working.

After coming to the same grim conclusion with the Anaheim council members, Odin left. They were not going to make it to Jotunheim theough any traditional measures. Even the unconventional ways seemed unlikely. And based on how they had found Loki in Thanos's lair, he would not last very much longer with the same brutal treatment. The frost giants wouldn't temper their punishment to make it last longer like the God of Death would.

Odin dwelt on these facts as he made his way down the hall. He intended to meet Thor relatively soon. He had heard of and studied Thanos for a long time now, but he'd had very minimal interaction. From what he could tell, however, the Titan was quite similar to his preceded reputation.

Thor had left his friends by this point and was now inside the left courtyard of the palace. This one had greenery extended clear until the wall that cut off access to the rest of the realm. It was hard to see that it was enclosed because of the lush plants. There were paths that led through the garden and all of them were kept so neatly trimmed and clear of any overgrowth. Asgard was very beautiful, but Anaheim clearly paid a lot of attention to their vegetation.

The God of Thunder turned as he heard his father approaching.

"Have you found anything?" his tone didn't sound hopeful at all, but he couldn't help asking.

"No." Odin replied "Until Thanos comes here, I do not know if we will be able to travel."

"Will we have enough help from other realms if he attacks?" Thor asked honestly. He had his doubts about that.

"Anaheim is a realm of peace." Odin said grimly "But, they are well prepared for an invasion. That is why I need to converse with you. I need to know what you observed while you were in his realm."

"Loki would be better for this, Father." Thor muttered "I don't look for detail. Nor do I have his unfortunate life experience with Thanos."

"No, you do not." Odin said "But it does not matter. You were there and until I can bring Loki here, that will have to suffice. Tell me what you know."

Thor let out a deep breath. There was too much to say and yet nothing all.

"When Loki brought us from our cell, he said that Thanos was going to Anaheim first. They planned to have Loki take control of Valder and Svleiva with the scepter and use them to get Anaheim on their side. Jotunheim would follow. And the nine realms in succession after that."  
Odin didn't comment, but he listened intently. Thanos' plans had already gone awry. That was one advantage.

"Based on what Loki said when he bargained with you, Thanos has many followers. The Outriders, as you named them, and the Chitari are the main ones he uses for his expendable soldiers." Thor continued "I believe he is in possession of multiple Infinity Stones."

"That would explain his power." Odin replied.

Thor nodded and then paused.

"There is little else to say other than they will go to terrible lengths to reach their goals."

"I observed that." Odin sounded weary.

"You said they poisoned him." Thor said flatly, returning the subject to Loki "It looked like he was cut, and burned with whatever weapon they possess that burns frost giants. The Norns only know what other hell they put upon him." he took a deep breath "And I can confirm what Valder said about Loki being controlled by the scepter." then he backtracked as Odin looked at him seriously "Perhaps not controlled. But Red Skull said that it was used to influence him. That it was given to him for that reason. To coerce him. And, Father, I believe this. The things he said on Earth to me were truthful, yes, but they were also too...zealous. As if I had been tormenting him the full time he was not with us on Asgard. And when we attempted to leave Thanos' realm the first time, he was the same. Hena forced him to put away the scepter and only then did he return. They...did this before. When he left Anaheim. They captured him and bent him to their rule." Thor blinked in pain "Why? Why didn't he tell us a monster held his leash?"

"Because Loki was still a willing ally." Odin responded calmly.

"Willing?" Thor raised his voice with sudden anger "Have you experienced the _torture_ that he went through?" his father had seemed so distraught over Loki's situation that Thor believed there would be little needed to persuade him. He could hardly believe what he heard at this moment "Do you recall what this means? They inflict pain on their victim day after day until they submit. They make them wish for death to escape the horror of yet another heated rod. Another prick of a blade. The scepter is not a reflection of Loki. Loki is a reflection of it. He is the one you taught to be protective of others and defend them. The one you taught to be responsible and giving. He hardly knew Lila Barton, but he was willing to lay down his life for hers." Thor shook his head "No, to live a life far worse than death. Because that is the Asgardian within him. He won't see it, but that is what it is. And who he is. He protects others. Frost giants are darker beings than Aesir, but _he_ is not. He has all the light of you and mother in him. Perhaps more than I."

"Thor. I know this." Odin stopped after that and the God of Thunder was ready for a rebuke. But it did not come. Instead, the king remained quiet and Thor relented. He sat in the silence for a moment, eyes on the ground in despondency until Odin finally spoke. It was quiet and steady.

"I am willing to go to whatever lengths I must to bring Loki here. And they will pay for the things they did to him. You asked why he did not tell us what happened before he attacked Midgard. Not whether or not I understood why he _did_ it. He did not explain because he knew he was in control of himself enough to make choices other than what he did. Because he did not know Thanos when he initially betrayed Asgard. But, I would have been the first one to desire to hear what they had forced upon him. I imagine the council would have been more receptive then." Odin shook his head "But I am not concerned with that now. It does not matter in reclaiming him here."

* * *

The journey to Thanos' realm had gone well. The Anaheimien soldiers had returned without incident, but they had some to report. Thor and Odin had left their conversation when they'd heard. The others had already gathered in the grand dining hall, save Hena.

The guards were bringing in the recovered items, laying them on the table one at a time. Captain America and Tony went up to retrieve their own things first and then Black Widow and Hawkeye followed. Thor stared grimly, but turned his attention to the men as they began to report to Odin and Valder.

"Thanos was not there that we could see. It was rather desolate to be quite honest. I believe they may have moved on." the leader of the infiltration team said.

"I imagine he has been planning this for a long time. Phasing out of that realm to get ready to attack others." Odin replied with a nod "His location was also compromised. Another reason why he does not want us traveling."

"That would explain why they were moving prisoners around. Getting them ready to transport." Thor added.

"If he is gone, that could mean he is preparing to invade here now." Valder replied "Did you see any signs of other prisoners still there? We should free them if there are."

The Anaheimien man shook his head solemnly, looking rather disturbed "No. But there was residue of slaughter. Many of who I can only guess were inmates were dead. If I had to reason why, I would say that Thanos had them killed to show the others what would happen if they attempted to escape. He already lost his prized prisoners because of a betrayal of his own. That news travels everywhere. He would have wanted to reinstate fear in his followers and his other captives."

Captain America closed his eyes briefly. None of them had thought much of what they would leave behind. But innocent people being murdered for actions other than their own certainly didn't help the guilt.

They left a moment of silence for the lives that had been taken, gazes on the ground.

"Our next objective after we make it from Anaheim needs to be finding where he is keeping the rest of his hostages." Valder said, looking at Odin "We've sat in ignorance while these people have suffered for decades. Perhaps longer."

"There were persons and creatures from all different realms there." Thor said "Some from the Nine, some from others unknown to me. But, it is not just from realms he has conquered. If beings go missing, that could be where they have been taken."

"Red Skull himself is from Earth." Captain America added.

"Which means Thanos may have mortal prisoners as well." Valder said. He turned to his men "Thank you. We may need to do another retrieval mission, but for now, go rest and replenish. You did well there."

The guards gave a small bow to their king and exited the room quietly.

"Is everything in order?" Valder now looked at the others who had just received their weapons.

"Looks wonderful to me. I don't suppose I'll be able to send a signal back to Earth from here?" Tony asked, half serious and half joking.

"Would someone there be of help?" Valder asked, obviously very unfamiliar with what the billionaire was referencing.

"Well. Not for what we're dealing with, no, but I have a few technological advancements I wouldn't mind bringing here." Tony replied. His watch lit up and he raised the image so it hovered about the screen "I just don't know if I can call it in. What with the...realm-technology barrier we have."

"I'm sure we have more than enough resources to increase your technology's reach if necessary. " Valder replied, catching on surprisingly quick.

The doors to the hall opened again, this time rather quickly. The king raised his eyes to the guards expectantly, but they stepped aside to let Hena through.

Valder stepped forward, eyebrows furrowed. He didn't need to sense her distress. It was plastered all over her face.

Svleiva stood from where she'd been sitting, one hand resting on her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Valder asked. His tone was foreboding. Perhaps an attack had started already. Or an attack on their neighbor realms.

"Can you sense Loki?" Hena asked, staring at her mother in terror.

The queen brought her head back in surprise. That was not the question she'd been expecting at all.

Valder blinked at his daughter twice before looking at his wife. She was obviously extending her senses now. It only took moments before she raised her gaze. She did not say anything, but Hena could see the answer.

"The bond broke. In an instant." she said, the withheld hysteria beginning to come out. Her beautiful brown eyes glistened fearfully as they begged for an answer from her parents. She raised a hand to her forehead and let out a gasping sob.

Thor felt his heartbeat noticeably quicken and he looked at Odin. The king listened wearily, already having drawn his own conclusion.

"That doesn't happen." Hena cried, having to talk herself through it "The bond fades when they cannot maintain it! It doesn't just..." she shook her head as her voice lost strength.

Svleiva took just a few steps towards her daughter, hands extended slightly. Valder would have followed, but Hena immediately withdrew, teeth clenched in anger.

"No! Don't!" she rejected them through tears "Can you not see that this is your fault? This is Anaheim's fault and Asgard's fault, and any other realm that won't even hold a negotiation with one another! You were all so concerned with maintaining your pride that you closed off realms that could have helped your own! With all of your rules and regulations and _boundaries_! You let your selfishness get in the way and now someone is dead because of it! A Prince of Asgard is dead because of it! Loki is dead because he tried to get us out so that we could defend _our realm_! So that we could stop Thanos!" her voice heighted to a scream "That's all he wanted and we couldn't even travel to Jotunheim to save his life! He suffered and died alone!"

Svleiva and Valder did nothing but wait with pure sadness as she released her grief on them.

"He was the one person I wanted to be with." Hena's raised voice sounding pleading now "The only one I could trust to rule by my side! To make me laugh when I felt like doing anything but! The man I wanted to protect me! To be intimate with! To share my life with!" she tried to continue, but all that came out was an unintelligible wail as she began to weep.

Valder's arms immediately shot out and pulled her close to him. He wrapped one hand around her head as she finally relented and cried into her father's chest.

Thor watched, his shoulders weighed down in defeat. There was little else to say. After a few moments of rapid, grieving thought, he spoke.

"Could he have broken the bond himself? If it was too strenuous to maintain it?" he asked quietly to Svleiva.

The queen's eyes flicked over for a split second, but she said nothing. She kept her eyes low and walked over to her husband and daughter without ever replying to the Prince's question.


	40. A Reunion

**Hello readers! I hope all of you are doing better than the people are in this story. *grimaces***

 **If you have ever left a review on my story, thank you!**

 **And, s specific shout to:**

 **breannakyle520**

 **Silvermane1**

 **Anne (guest)**

 **for reviewing on my last chapter! It made my world!**

Thor's face rested in a resigned scowl as he watched the guards patrol the perimeter of the palace. They looked very similar to Asgardian soldiers, but with slightly different armor. It shone bronze and silver, rather than gold.

The Warriors had wanted to be with him, but he'd sent them away. His mortal friends left him to grieve. They were rather struck themselves. He knew Hawkeye still partially blamed himself for what happened and now he would blame himself for this.

Thor did not know if the Jotuns had left Loki to die when he arrived, or if they had played a vicious part in it. But, if he ever found out that it was the latter, he would use the Bifrost to destroy Jotunheim himself.

Him and Odin hadn't said anything to each other yet. When Hena had finally withdrawn to private with her parents, they'd all parted ways. Thor had returned to the castle to seek his father, but found that the others didn't know where he was either.

He hoped Thanos came. He hoped he brought any army and started a war. Right now, Thor felt he could destroy a whole battalion, even without his hammer.

But the anger would come and go. The feeling that lingered was absolute guilt. He'd let his younger brother down. And not just in letting him die on Jotunheim, but in everything leading up to that. Loki had fallen from the Bifrost because of him. He'd allied himself with Thanos because of him. He'd turned away from his entire family because of him. All for the want of validation. Because Loki felt he could never be enough just being who he was.

"Thor."

The God of Thunder turned to the voice, eyebrows creased slightly. Svleiva walked over to him, almost as if approaching her own child. Gentleness and kindness graced her features.

"I wanted to come and offer you peace." she said, extending one hand and Thor was reminded that she possessed the same ability to create emotion just like Hena could. Then she lowered her hand "But, first, I can see what you're pondering. It might be best to say it aloud. If you feel comfortable doing so."

Thor stared at her for a moment and then sighed.

"I am not sure what I can say. The events...happened so quickly." he averted his gaze "We did not imagine that doing something other than what Loki told us to do would lead to his death. He likely knew this the whole time. He came back to us, in spite of everything he could have gained by staying with Thanos. Because he wasn't truly evil. He never was. From birth until death. And I..." Thor's voice nearly caught in his throat. He looked down briefly "I fear that Loki died still believing that Odin did not care for him. That I did not love him."

"Loki knew you loved him, Thor." Svleiva said tenderly "You showed him absolute forgiveness. You showed him kindness and remorse for everything that happened to him. You wanted to change. To make amends. And you kept trying even when he rejected you. He saw that willingness. He knew." she glanced behind her solemnly "I can't profess to understand Loki and Odin's conflict. I know where it stems from, but I wish they would have had the willingness to relinquish their pride. Odin feels the weight of that now. And he fears the same as you. Of Loki truly not knowing of his love."

Thor blinked once at the ground and one tear fell.

"Have you talked to him?" he asked "My father?"

Svleiva shook her head lightly "No. But, I felt his pain. Others may have been surprised, but I was not. He raised Loki. He cared for him. He held him when he cried as a babe. Loki's hands would reach for comfort as a child and they would often find Odin. But your father had to push this aside to fulfill his duty as king. I do not blame him for this. Valder may, but I do not know what other way it could have been. Less harsh, more forgiving perhaps. Odin loved _his_ Loki." Now Svleiva grew emotional, her voice fading "His gentle son. His clever boy. Not the one Thanos created. He always would have grieved Loki. Even if he had followed your law and put him to death. He grieved him when he was lost, but the Loki that came back was not the one he lost. He only recently found that Loki again." Svleiva shrugged, eyes glistening with tears "His son died for redemption. And he'll never get to see the product of his actions."

Thor swallowed, the same sense of nearly unbearable remorse washing over him again.

"I have given your father a feeling of peace. I have come to offer the same to you now. Not to turn away your grief, but to help you stay focused on what we must to do avenge Loki's death."

Thor exhaled. Part of him wanted that. But part of him needed to feel the burning anger he felt for Thanos. Loki had been tortured, not once, but twice at his hands. And had endured it without any support both times. Thor wasn't sure if he would have been able to do the same and still come out as rational as Loki had. In fact, he knew he wouldn't have.

Svleiva simply waited for him to finish his thoughts without pressing him into a decision.  
The God of Thunder finally exhaled "I will accept it. Thank you."

Svleiva nodded and moved to take his hand.

"Did you do the same for Hena?" he asked, expecting a certain answer.

To his surprise though, the queen shook her head sadly.

"Our power will not work on one another. But she will use this to fuel her. She has little inclination for violence. It will be of aid. You and your father were raised in far more violence. You will need peace more than anger."

* * *

Hena slowly began to unwind a long wrap of silk fabric from around the object in her hand. She did it with narrowed eyes until she uncovered a very long dagger. It was so thin at the top that it was hard to see from certain angles. The blade was pure silver and the handle was made of both gold and an Anaheimien metal. It was magically enhanced to make it lighter than it should be.

Hena carefully set it down and then began to fold the silk. One of the guards in the room walked over and held out a hand for it. She glanced up at them before handing it up with a quiet 'thank you.'

As she stood up, the man took her place and neatly folded up the fabric. He placed it in the beautiful chest before closing it and standing back up.

Hena carefully picked the knife back up. She stared at it, letting out a deep sigh. She'd been given this by her mother when she was fairly young. The story had been that if Svleiva had carried this when she went to Vormir, she may have been able to prevent herself from ever being afflicted by the curse that caused her so much pain. Of course, that had only been the story. There was no way to know if her carrying such a weapon would have done anything as Hena did not know what actually happened to her mother.

Adden watched her as she sheathed the blade in a metal cover, keeping it carefully gripped.

"Do you want your other blades sharpened?" he asked, waiting by the door for her. Hena looked in his direction before beginning to walk over.

"Yes. Thank you, Adden, that would be appreciated." she said quietly, joining him as they left the room.

He escorted her down the hall in silence, one hand on the hilt of his word. He observed anyone who passed, making sure that none of them were going to take a random assault on the princess. The guards were on high alert, particularly after hearing of Red Skull impersonating Hawkeye.

"Are you doing alright?" he asked gently, watching a few of the men under his command pass. Then he looked over at her.

"No." Hena replied shortly, doing her best to remain stoic. She was numb at the moment and wanted to keep it that way. But her eyes held back tears nonetheless. The soldiers had been informed that the second son of Odin no longer lived. She would not be able to handle any insensitive and idiotic questions from any of them.

"I'm sorry. That was a foolish question." Adden said apologetically "May I help you in anyway?"

Hena shook her head, immediately feeling bad for being cold with him. He had always been one of her closest friends, but she had withdrawn from him in the last decade or so. He had never tried to pressure her in anyway, but she knew he would enjoy courting her. If she had never met Loki, she may have eventually married him. But, she could not look past what she had lost. So, she shook her head to his question.

"Where shall I escort you?" he asked.

"Do you know where my mother is?"

Adden nodded "She is with the maids. Do you want the healing rooms?"

Hena nodded in return, averting her eyes.

####

Valder walked with the leaders from their neighboring realm down the hall. They were heading towards the entrance to the palace where he would send them back home. Of the realms in this space of the universe, Anaheim was the only one that maintained an army about as big as Asgard's. Like Anaheim, the others were peaceful, but they were almost neutral to a lethal point. They didn't believe they should ever need to fight and therefore did not all prepare accordingly. Although Valder hated Thanos with every fiber of his being, he couldn't help but realize that many realms would not be that difficult to overtake. And the inhabitants captured. However blunt that may be.

But, there were some with wise kings and queens who kept soldiers conditioned for war. They were very willing to help when the time came.

As they exited the castle, Valder looked to the left and saw Odin walking back the way they had come. He said farewell to his guests there and turned to the Allfather. They followed his gaze and, with surprised expressions, exchanged respectful nods with the king of Asgard. Then, they continued on their way and let Valder on his.

This was the first time he had seen Odin in several hours, but he didn't speak as they traveled back into the palace. He needed to discuss whether or not they should have the other realms waiting here for battle or not. There was no way of knowing how soon Thanos would be coming or if they would be able to reach Asgard in before that. But, Valder didn't bring this up right then.

"When we are able, we should travel to Jotunheim to get his body for a proper send off. Assuming it is still there." he said quietly instead.

"Yes, I intended to do so." Odin replied.

"Then may we join you?" Valder asked directly.  
It was silent, but the Allfather nodded without looking at him.

"What are your intentions for the frost giants?" Valder queried "Retribution?"

"I will find out what part they played. It is possible that the toxin Thanos gave him had multiplicative properties. It was not familiar to me. It may not have been possible to save him without an antidote. If I find that the Jotuns assisted in his death, then yes, they will have retaliation upon them."

"Do you believe they did?" Valder asked solemnly.

"Yes, I believe that was the case. They'll be heard first, but I do not think Loki should have succumbed to a poison so fast. And his injuries, though barbaric and cruel, should not have taken him for at least a week from this day. Something was amiss."

* * *

Thor finally approached his friends after many hours avoiding them. When they saw him, everyone immediately straightened, or stood up entirely. Sif stared at him with particular graveness.

"Has my father come here yet?" he asked, slowly slightly as he neared.

Volstagg shook his head first, making the Prince exhale quietly.

"I am going to speak to Valder and Svleiva." he said. It was just a statement to inform them where he was going, but they took it as a conversation starter.

"Why?" that was Fandral first. The God of Thunder sounded as though he had a specific purpose.

Thor pulled a piece of paper from his armor and held it out to his friends. It had very neat and precise words written on it. Fandral's chin rose in realization.

"Loki asked me to get this to them. I want them to know about it. They may have it here and he said it would help them." Thor replied "He had not asked me to do something for him in a long time. So, it is going to get done. Whether I have to wait until I get to Asgard or it's here, I need to get this book for them."

Fandral nodded at the ground slowly. As his friend left, the Warrior looked at the others morosely.

"Thor." Volstagg said, his voice fading off at the end, making the prince look back.

"I'm so sorry." his friend said sadly.

Thor blinked, his eyes flicking up as he breathed in. But instead of telling his friend that it was alright, he simply nodded.

"I am too."

* * *

"Why is everyone so sad?" Mazi asked, leaning against her father with a very forlorn gaze. He was holding her as they waited for Svleiva to come from the healing chamber. She was there at least once a day so they could perform spells and provide healing charms to hopefully subdue the curse as long as possible. They also did frequent blood letting to examine the health of the baby and the queen. She couldn't stop her visits to the healers, even with all of the chaos around them. But she did so without drawing attention.

Valder did his best to be with her at each one, but when the others arrived he had failed to accompany her the last few days. So, today, he was waiting for her outside to remind her that he knew very well what she was humbly enduring.

"Everyone is sad, but no one is saying why." Mazi continued glumly. Her head rested on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his neck.

Valder was gently rocking the from side to side, despite his little girl being much older than the baby he once held. At their feet, there actually was a cat. She belonged to Mazi and as such, the princess carried the animal around whenever she was upset. Hena actually had one as well, but that cat was a lot harder to track down.

"We're trying to make sure the realm is safe. There are some bad beings that we're trying to keep away from us as well as other realms." he replied, keeping it as simple as possible.

"But, then why are you sad?" Mazi still sounded on the verge of tears "Is it Loki? He is the only one who hasn't come yet. Did the bad beings get him?"

Valder paused briefly, lips tightening. She was too smart for them to evade the answer much longer.

"When your mother comes out, we'll explain." he replied gently. He carefully let her slide down to the floor "For now, I think you should go and play with the other children from Midgard. This may be their only time to be here."

"Can I take them to see the horses in the riding pasture?" Mazi asked, looking up at him earnestly.

Valder nodded "Absolutely. I think they are with their mother in the dining hall."

The princess hopped to a run and within a few moments she was gone, with the cat on her tail. The king watched briefly before turning back to the door silently. The visits were usually done within a half hour and it was nearly that now. So far, this child was completely healthy, but Hena had appeared that way at first too.

He continued to wait until finally the door opened and his wife came out. He immediately stepped forward to give her a kiss and Svleiva actually jumped, eyebrows up in surprise as he pulled back.

"How is everything?" he asked "I haven't been around to tend to you. I'm sorry."

"There have been a lot of pressing matters, you are far forgiven." Svleiva said with a smile that still suggested she was happy he was there "The baby is doing well still. No health complications and she is well developed and continuing to grow at a normal pace."

"Did they say anything for long term?" Valder ventured.

Svleiva shook her head "They cannot predict that. We just have to continue to pray that she will be minimally affected."

"Mazi was healthier than Hena when she was born. Perhaps this will be the same pattern." Valder replied.

"That is my hope. That we don't lose another." Svleiva said quietly.

He took her hand gently and waited a few moments before speaking.

"It isn't your fault. You've done nothing but try to protect and love all of our children."

"My body isn't strong enough for them. To give them what they need." Svleiva replied.

"No. It is. This ailment from Vormir is the hindrance."

"Then how many more must we lose?" she asked sadly.

"None. I won't let that happen again." Valder resolved.

The queen shook her head "No, you cannot put yourself at risk like that again. Will I lose my husband if not my children? No, we will seek help elsewhere. Asgard perhaps."

Valder's face tightened ever so slightly and Svleiva sighed.

"What is this ire in you? Why are you so opposed to seeking help from them?"

"I will not go to Asgard for help like so many other realms do."

"You know this is not the case. They give willingly. Asgard is not the problem to you. I know this because you wanted to seek peace with them. To have an alliance." she touched his chest gently "You don't want to feel as though you cannot protect our family on your own. I understand. But you are everything to me and your daughters. Accepting Asgard's help won't change that."

"I know it won't." Valder assured her.

"Odin would help us. He's kind. And he is generous. He hurts for Loki and would not want us to grieve as he is." she paused "They may not have something to help us, but I have to know for sure. I want this daughter, Valder. She is strong and she will fight. I can sense her spirit. Gentle like Hena and Mazi, but she has Hena's kindness and Mazi's energy. She needs to come and join our family here.

They both looked up as a sudden alarm rang outside the palace.

"The north." Valder said, putting one hand around his wife to keep her close as they walked quickly down the hall.

* * *

Thor frowned, turning around several times to see where the alarm was coming from. He still didn't quite know his way around the castle palace, but fortunately a group of guards turned the corner on the direction he was heading.

"What's happened?" he asked, quickening his pace to catch up to them "Are there invaders?"

Firo, the king's man in charge of battle preparation, was the one leading the group. He glanced back at the prince quickly.

"We are not sure. It's coming from the north part of the realm. We have patrols set up everywhere. They would not raise the alarm for anything less than an attack. It may be minor, but we are securing the palace now."

"There are men lined up in front of the weapon vault." Thor turned to see Odin approaching. He let out a relieved breath at finally seeing his father.

"Come, Thor, we'll likely be needed on the battlefield." the king said, walking past his son.

"I do not have my hammer." Thor said.

"You learned your fighting skills alongside Loki before you ever received Mjolnir." Odin replied "If you've forgotten that, then it was probably for the best that you lost her for the time being."

"Our king and queen will travel to the main hall." Firo said, speaking of the room they had first teleported to after their escape from Thanos.

"We'll meet them there. Send a guard to report what has happened." Odin replied. The soldier nodded and he and his men quickly headed off into the next hallway.

"Is Anaheim ready to fight a battle this large?" Thor asked, keeping up with his father's incredibly fast pace.

"No." Odin responded "But, we have several surprises we will put into play if the war turns quickly."

"I'm going to kill Thanos. With my bare hands." Thor growled. The titan had let Loki die without so much as a blink. He'd never given a damn about the God of Mischief. And he had wanted Loki to think that of everyone else.

"We all will." Odin said, turning the corner. A few moments later, they entered the hall. Valder and Svleiva were indeed waiting. Hena was there with them. They'd just sent for the Warriors and everyone else.

"Trouble?" Odin asked, staring right at the king.  
The room dimmed suddenly and Valder looked up at the slits in the ceiling. The sky had noticeably darkened. But there were no clouds in sight.

"I feel so." Valder replied grimly "Our men are prepared."

Hena looked at Thor briefly before flicking her eyes away. She looked nervous, but more than ready to get fighting.

He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness as he watched the princess. Subconsciously, he made a vow that he wasn't going to leave her side. He owed that to Loki.

"Valder." Svleiva said with sudden urgency. She stepped back and he immediately moved in front of both her and Hena as he peered at the figure standing near the entrance of the palace. Thor jerked to sudden attention, eyes wide.

"Stand down before you lose your life." Valder said warningly. He didn't hold a weapon, but something told Thor he didn't necessarily need one for fighting.

"No, father, that's..." Hena stared with a gaze wide enough to see everything in a mile radius.

"I'm here to harm no one." the person said, sounding relatively amused "Except perhaps Thanos and his followers."

Valder blinked in recognition as Odin stepped forward in shock.

"The walls between us are ever thin, my husband." she said with her eyes on the Asgardian king.

The woman was transparent and glowed a bright white, but nevertheless, it was Frigga.


	41. Inevitable

**Hello! I hope all of you are doing well! The next chapter after this one is a LONG chapter and I am getting near the end of it I hope. :) Your reviews are blessings!**

 **Special mentions for this chapter:**  
 **breannakyle520**  
 **Silvermane1**  
 **Anne (guest)**

 **elephantlover123**  
 **GlitterQueen2019**

 **THANK YOU!**

* * *

"Mother?" Thor asked in absolute disbelief.  
The woman smiled, but she did not attempt to walk forward. And he was glad. He'd finally learned that he couldn't always trust what he saw.

"Yes, Thor." Frigga said this with confidence, but also deep affection "Thanos did his best to weaken the borders between the realms. But, in doing so, he also weakened the walls between the living and dead. I have come from Valhalla. And we are preparing to assist Anaheim."

Valder and Svleiva exchanged a brief glance, but returned their paranoid gazes back to her. The queen in particular looked uncertain and scared.

"If this is truly you, I apologize for the distrust. But in all of my life, I have never known this to be possible." Odin said, staying in his place just the same as she.

Frigga nodded and looked at him with all the adoration and amusement of a wife.

"Don't worry, I did not imagine that I'd be well received. At least, not until you'd confronted Thanos personally. But now that you see the threat that has been growing in our ignorance, I felt I could make an appearance. Valder, Svleiva, Hena, if you would, one of you can verify that I am who I say."

"That's going to require a lot more than something I can do from this distance." Valder replied, making it clear that it would be him approaching her and not either of the women standing next to him.

"I understand. I don't think you want me to come there, but you are free to come to me." Frigga held out both hands plainly to show that she held nothing in them "I have no weapon and I will not perform any magic. You would be able to sense it if I did."

Valder stared at her with a hint of wariness still, but then he did step forward. He put one eye on Asgard's king, trying to gather the opinion in his expression.

"Very well. From your thoughts here, you seem genuine. Otherwise, I would not consider doing this."

"I would not either, if I were in your position." Frigga assured him.

Thor stared in anticipation as the king of Anaheim began to walk over. The man showed little caution, almost as if he had already made up his mind before he approached her.

"You are much less trusting than you used to be, Thor." Frigga said, noticing his uneasiness with a smile "But perhaps this is for your betterment."

Immediately forgetting he was even supposed to be wary of her, Thor lifted his chin indignantly. Odin would have smiled if not for their urgent situation.

Valder took Frigga's outstretched hand and waited patiently as he scrutinized her mind. He searched for intentions, random memories, and feelings for the people around her. Anything that could mean she was more foe than friend.  
But it did not take long. He released her with a dip of his head.

"I don't know if there is any possible way this is deception. Welcome, Frigga. I can safely speak for everyone when I say your presence is a relief."

Thor looked at his father, then back at his mother. All the grief from her death was in his eyes, but he also looked inexplicably happy.

"Mind if I come forward now that I've been vouched for?" Frigga asked with a hint of a laugh.

Odin went forward himself and the two of them met in an embrace halfway through.

The Anaheimien royal family waited patiently as the king and queen reunited for the first time since her death. It was the tenderest of moments and they could finally see the complete adoration and love Odin had for his wife. When they did separate, Frigga looked on Thor with a loving eye.

"You look older than I even remember." she said, taking the chance to hug her oldest son.

The Warriors and mortal Avengers showed up just as he took his mother in his arms, but they froze the moment they entered. Fandral, Volstagg, Sif, and Hogun all stared in shock before dropping to one knee in respect to their lost queen.

"Your majesty." Volstagg said in awe. He was the first to rise from his position and walk over. He looked as though he stared at a ghost "How is this possible?"

Frigga smiled at the eternally devoted soldier.

"Thanos' interference made it possible for me to return to this life for a short time. He opened the way to Valhalla briefly, but we held it open longer." she turned to Valder and Svleiva "I'm sorry about the distress we caused your realm. We were sending our spirits to and from Valhalla through your boundaries. We were not a threat, but we appeared as one. It was the only way we were able to test how many we could get into the world of the living."

"They were spirits of Valhalla?" Svleiva said in relief "That takes a great deal of the burden away. We believed Thanos was surveying our land. He would have already had an advantage."

"No, certainly not." Frigga replied "Valhalla sent me to represent them because I am the most recently deceased, but still well known inhabitant of the realm."

"Was it truly you whom Mazi saw then?" Hena asked with a wide gaze.

The queen nodded with a loving look.

"Yes, dear one. That was me. She was never in harm's way."

"But why couldn't we observe you like she did?" Thor asked in confusion.

"Mazi has a certain...veracity that made it easier for her to view me. That, and she was the only nonmortal child there. I allowed her to see me so that she could commune my gestures to the rest of you." Frigga pointedly examined the group that had just entered, head moving ever so slightly. She now had a question for them.

"Mazi is in the pasture." Svleiva said, looking over at her husband with wide eyes. Valder did a double take before turning to Adden behind them.

"Mazi and the other children are in the pastures." he said, relaying the same words to them quickly "And I suspect the battle will be upon us soon. Find them and bring them here. Take a few other men with you in case there is trouble along the way."

Adden nodded swiftly and left the palace to follow his orders. Svleiva watched him with pure anxiety in her eyes. Then, her gaze rose up again as the sky noticeably darkened again. More alarms began sounding, but this time from all across the realm.

"Get the commons evacuated." Valder said, backing up towards his other men "And have the soldiers line up in battle formation."

"Valhalla will send forces here to help. It is difficult to send them, especially since the borders have begun to solidify once again, but we intend to do it anyway." Frigga said "We will get as many across the border as we can. Unfortunately, it will take time."

"Would you be able to get to Asgard?" Thor asked this with intense hope.

Frigga shook her head, ruining the brief excitment the God gave everyone.

"It is very difficult to travel between the realms. Even for us. We only have so much power. This is the last world I will be able to come to unless the walls between us weaken again. We have to save enough strength for all of us to return to Valhalla when this is over. We harnessed energy from Thanos' actions, but I had to use that to go to Midgard and to his realm as well." she looked behind her as guards came running in the entrance of the palace.

Odin turned to the Warriors "Follow their men. We'll use our own strategies alongside theirs."

They nodded immediately as the king switched his attention to the mortals.

"Not all of you are equipped to fight beings of this degree. You can decide whether you engage these invaders or not."

"Personally, I think we have some avenging to do." Tony responded, but the king barely acknowledged that before he turned back to his wife.

"Mother..." Thor said faintly, a question clearly wanting to be asked. He glanced down with a grieved face. Frigga did the same, knowing exactly what he was struggling to bring up.

Odin approached her gently and took her hand. Hena watched with pressed lips and had to look away, despite continuing to listen.

"You came for him. Why isn't he here?" Frigga asked. Her forlorn expression suggested she knew the answer already.

"Thanos attacked us when we were leaving. He took Loki." Odin replied, with the solemn sorrow he showed only to his wife "And sent him to Jotunheim as punishment for what he did to help the others."

Frigga blinked without meeting his gaze. Then her head tilted to the side ever so slightly as she forced herself to hold back any emotion.

"And did they kill him?"

"They may not have, but I doubt that they would have intervened to save his life." Odin responded, holding her hand tighter still.

"It is still murder." Frigga's eyes opened fiercely for a moment "Whether they killed him intentionally or by lack of interference."

"Have you seen him?" Thor asked with a slight hesitance.

Frigga let her anger fade with a resigned and sad exhale.

"I have not been back to Valhalla since Thanos took you to his realm. It takes too much of the energy we must conserve. Otherwise we would not have enough power to bring anyone here. I have not see Loki."

"But you were there. In the chamber on Thanos' planet." Thor continued.

"Yes. I could not intervene at the time." Frigga replied with a press of her lips and close of her eyes, showing the regret and guilt she was hiding. Then it changed to an expression of determination "But I could be there for him during it, so I was."

"We intend make Thanos answer to that." Odin responded "And you can return to Loki and tell him so."

"That cannot make up for his life cut so short." Frigga said quietly "Or the agony he suffered before his death."

Hena's mouth trembled, but she looked up sharply as the alarm in the palace rang. She wiped her face with a quick intake of breath and walked past the Asgardians, her newly sharped blade held tightly in her hand.

* * *

 **I nearly uploaded part of the next chapter here hahaha. ;) Please leave a review if you have a moment to spare!**

 **Also, if anyone has any recommendations for stories, please let me know! If you are a writer yourself and think I would enjoy your story, please let me know! I am always open to new stories :)))**


	42. The Unjust Beginning

**So, the long chapter was taking too long. Here is a sneak peek. I promise the best is yet to come. :) Be aware of lots of foreshadowing in this chapter!**

The Anaheimien army was lined up for at least a quarter of a mile in width and many more soldiers stood behind the front line. All of them held shields and spears, with swords clipped to their torso armor. Ordinarily, they were without the swords, but Svleiva had instructed them to include it this time.

The army was to the west of the palace between the commons and the royal grounds. The citizens had all been evacuated, but a large group of soldiers stood watch over their homes.

The northern alarms were the first to be set off and the last to stop ringing. They assumed that was where Thanos would be approaching. Thanks to Loki and Loki only, the God of Death would find them ready and waiting.

Valder and Odin stood at the front of the group, with Thor, Hena, Frigga, and Svleiva right behind them. The Anaheimien queen had two personal guards beside her. Her eyes were narrowed as she waited for the first sign of invasion. She feared for her unborn daughter, but that only made her more dangerous than ever. When the fighting started, the leaders would fall into a more protected area just beneath where they currently stood. It was meant to be a place where they could collaborate before heading back out into war.

Valder had tried to convince his wife to go there now, just to keep her out of view, but she had refused. She was still queen and would support her husband as he commanded their realm.  
Although they did not show it, both of the kings were grim about the upcoming fight. When Valhalla's footmen arrived, there would be better odds, but they both knew that this army alone would not be able to stand indefinitely against Thanos'. They would have to outsmart him long before he got the chance to overtake their soldiers.

"I imagine someone who comes here will know how to get your hammer back." Hena said to Thor without looking over. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she stared ahead at the empty field. Anaheim's territory had purposely been set up in the event of an invasion. There was a long field that separated the commons and palace. Their enemies could attack one or the other or they could divide their forces to attack both.

"They might have to be killed to break the spell." Thor replied, looking at her without very much emotion.

"Well, if it's Thanos, I don't think we have a lack of people willing to take his life." Hena said.  
Svleiva glanced back towards the palace, though she did not say anything. Adden had yet to return with Mazi and she was beginning to worry. Only Cooper had ended up going with her to the pastures, but he had returned early. He, his siblings, and Laura were all safely hidden with the rest of the Anaheimien women and children. Since the king and queen had hindered the princess's powers, not one of her family members could try to reach her telepathically. Hawkeye was frequently going back to the haven where his family was and he confirmed that Mazi had not been taken straight there.

No one was surprised when the mortals all opted to stay and fight. Even Hawkeye was leaving his family to the Anaheimien protection. Captain America was near immortal himself and they all had experience fighting these aliens. They were lined up with the Warriors Three and Sif. With Valder and Svleiva's help, Tony had also been able to bring his suit to the foreign realm. They could still influence his "artificial" power without too much effort. Although, he wasn't entirely sure where from Earth the suit had come. This wasn't the one from Hawkeye's place.

Thor looked up with a small narrow of his eyes. The sky was still dark, which was more nerve-wracking to those from Anaheim than those from any other realm. Valder controlled their climate day to day, so when it changed, that meant another power was counteracting his own.

"How far along are you?" Frigga asked softly to Svleiva. The younger queen looked over with creased eyebrows. She didn't ask how Frigga knew she was expecting. She doubted that Asgard's former leader had been observing her from Valhalla.

"Nineteen weeks." came her reply.

"How is she doing?"

Svleiva drew a deep breath as she glanced back at the palace again, hoping to see Adden appear with Mazi and Cooper.

"She is doing well. But my other children appeared that way as well. We were hoping that she would develop without being inhibited by the same bane that my other daughters were. It's unlikely that this will be the case."

With a few blinks, Thor remembered what he had been on his way to do when the alarms rang. He nearly spoke aloud to Svleiva, but stopped. He intended to tell them about his brother's book, but it could very well distract them from the upcoming battle. He let out an angry breath. The very thought of Loki made him angrier than ever.

"We will help where we can." Frigga responded "You should not have to endure the loss of another child."

"That is my desire." Svleiva said fervently. Even as she said this though, her thoughts went to the God of Mischief just as Thor's were. Then, they returned to Mazi with a fresh wave of worry.

"What do we see on the barrier?" she asked, trying to distract herself as she pointed a question to her husband.

"Nothing yet." Valder reported back to her "They wanted to distract us with the small invasions all around the realm. To scatter our forces first. But we have the advantage. We know they're coming full fledge."

"I need to go after Mazi." Svleiva said, leaving her place and stepping towards him. Valder immediately looked back and then turned.

"No. I am not risking sending you now. Adden is retrieving her. He has not even had time to make his rounds back here."

"It does not matter who you send if I have to wait for her to return. I need to go myself. I don't want her alone when the battle strikes." Svleiva said forcefully.

"Will I lose my wife if not my daughter?" Valder responded, staring at her with an intent gaze as he repeated the same phrase she had said to him earlier "I am asking you to wait here until Adden has at least had time. Then I will go myself if necessary. But I'm not sending you, or anyone else, until we are certain something is wrong."

"She knows her way." Hena spoke up to her mother "She knows what to do if we are invaded. She will go into hiding."

"Not if they are directly attacked." Svleiva said numbly.

"There has been no sign of that yet." Valder was just as worried as the queen. But the only way to calm her fears was to reason with them.

"I've seen her." Frigga said gently to the woman next to her "She is smart. Likely she'll show up here of her own accord. She will know something is happening."

"But that is my fear. She should have heard the alarms. She should have already come." Svleiva replied.

"There has not been time." Valder repeated with the same amount of patience "Adden will get her here. I promise." his eyes lifted to the sky as he spoke. Then, he glanced at Frigga. She briefly shook her head.

"Valhalla has not entered your world."

Valder grimly turned to face forward again "Then they're here."

Svleiva stepped back, chin raising slightly. Thor breathed slowly as he stared across the courtyard.

The air shimmered, just as they had seen so many times. But, it was just as shocking that Thanos was the first person to appear. He wore a vaguely triumphant expression as he stopped to stare at them. Red Skull and the two surviving darkness infused beings were right by his side. Chitari began to appear on either side as they opened the portal further.

The Anaheimien soldiers didn't move a muscle, waiting for their order.

Thanos started walking forward, as if simply taking in the situation. Valder and Odin did the same, but they did not go as far.

"You were warned." the Titan said matter of factly "And I imagine I know by whom." he tilted his head with a flash of a smile "How is Loki doing?"

None of them jumped to the provocation, but it did make Thor flinch angrily.

"Oh, couldn't you get to him?" Thanos continued "That's unfortunate. Whatever refreshment they gave him down in his cell didn't seem to be too helpful for his health. I was too distraught by that to think of anything else but coming here to warn you. I hear, though, that we were too late. My sources told me you confirmed his demise. I'll be sure to send my regards to him in Helheim."

He was around one hundred feet from them when he stopped.

"Thanos." Valder greeted him plainly.

"Yes, you're Valder, I assume." the Titan responded "I'm sorry, I've never acquainted myself with you. After all, we really are not that far away."

"No, we're not, but I am most grateful this is our first encounter." Valder said "We were warned and we're prepared for the war you want to bring on us. I'll invite you to leave now, before we have to see the bloodshed of our men."

"My soldiers enjoy the spilling of blood, whether it is theirs or not." Thanos replied.

The blue glow caught Thor's eye and he glared. The scepter was in Red Skull's hands. The mutant smirked at all of them.

Even though he hated the vile thing, Thor wished it were in Loki's grasp instead.

"You're certainly not a very honorable leader if you sacrifice their lives so easily." Valder said, gaze sweeping over all of the creatures in front of him.

"Being honorable is a perspective, not an attribute." Thanos said, moving his weapon into his other hand "My motives are very sincere. When I rule the universe, no one's needs will go unanswered."

"Yet, you will kill everyone to get there." Odin spoke "You have nothing but empty promises to anyone who follows you. And that is all you will ever give, as long as it secures their loyalty."

"And Loki didn't realize that until the end." Thanos responded, with a dark smile "My family is always taken care of, as long as they don't have a family other than me."

Red Skull raised the scepter above his head and the Chitari and Outriders began screeching a battle cry.

"This is a battle you cannot win. But I will see you for the surrender." Thanos said, although they could not hear him. He stepped back into his crowd of soldiers. They were now at least a third larger than the Anaheimien army.

In complete unison, the first row of Outriders ran forward, all four clawed feet ripping the ground to shreds.

"Firo." Valder said grimly "Send in the first unit."

 **Sorry this is short, but the other one is in the works and should be done sometime soon. Please leave a comment if you would! :) XOXO**


	43. A Law Overturned

**Hello, my readers! This is one of my most favorite chapters I have ever written and I really hope you can appreciate it. Hopefully, it is not TOO quickly paced. This is only about half of what is to come :)**

"What was Mazi doing when you left her?" the guard asked, looking down at Cooper intently.  
Laura leaned to look at his face. His eyes flicked back and forth, unsure how to answer the stoic man asking the questions.

"Cooper, when you left the field, Mazi was still there, right?" she asked him, putting two hands on his shoulders.

Cooper hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Did she say she was leaving after you?" the soldier continued, although he seemed to have noticed the boy's nervousness and softened his tone a bit.

Svleiva had asked him to speak with the mortal child after her conversation with her husband. Even though Valder assured her that Mazi was in Adden's hands, she was worried her daughter may have left the pastures before they reached her. If that was indicated by what Cooper said at all, the guard had orders to go and track down Adden. Without Valder's permission.

"She said..." Hawkeye's son was clearly trying to think back, eyebrows in a thoughtful scowl "She said she wanted to ride the horses. I think she was going to ask one of..." he looked briefly at the guard. Wearing the same armor made them all look identical "...you guys to help her."

The man glanced up at Laura for a moment.

"That means she should have still been there." he concluded "You didn't watch her leave?"

"No." Cooper said and his mother consolingly brought him closer from behind "She was still sitting on the fence when I left."

* * *

"Where are the others?" Mazi asked curiously.

Without any idea that she was missing in the eyes of her parents, she was being escorted through the palace by Adden and two other men rather quickly. She could tell just from their expressions that something was wrong.

"We have enemies trying to invade Anaheim." Adden responded "Your parents are getting ready to face them."

"Are we going to them?" Mazi asked, sounding nervous now "We are going the wrong way for that."

"I'm taking you the long way." Adden responded "I don't want to risk us running into anyone."

"Are the guards fighting?" Mazi looked around, almost as if she expected monsters to start attacking from all sides.

"Yes." Adden put a finger to his lips "Now, let's be quieter. We do not want to let anyone know we're here."

Mazi fell silent at his words. The men surrounded her on either side, eyes very vigilant for any sign of moment.

"Are you sure we shouldn't take her straight to the safehouse with the other children?" one of them asked Adden quietly.

Their leader shook his head "No, Valder told me to bring her to him. And we can't risk leading any stray invaders to the others."

Mazi leaned around the men to peer down the long hall. That way led to the front entrance of the palace, but they were heading to the southern exit. They could most likely get out unnoticed that way, but that also meant that they had farther to travel to get to the king and queen.

"We don't have the numbers Adden." the same guard continued talking in his hushed tone "We need to get her somewhere safer. They'll be overrun."

"We'll do what they told us to do." Adden responded "Valder has other tactics in place. Our job is to keep Mazi safe right now. Not question the king's actions."

The man blinked, almost as if surprised. Then he just nodded. Adden rarely got so stern, but he imagined that the stress of the invasion was weighing on his mind just like all the others. He knew that Anaheim would not stand a chance if numbers were the only thing that mattered in battle.

"Is Hena with my mom and dad?" Mazi asked, keeping her voice just slightly quieter than normal.

"Yes. She's going to fight as well." Adden replied.

"Is everyone fighting? Is that why all of the alarms were ringing?" Mazi asked with wide eyes.

"There is a battle going on, yes." Adden said steadily "We're going to get you to your parents. Then we will decide if we take you to stay with the other children."

* * *

Captain America slammed his shield straight down on one of the Outriders that was sprinting right at him. In just a few seconds, he smacked another one away on his other side. These creatures were not hard to stun, kill, or toss out of the way, but they quickly became deadly when too many of them attacked at once. If their numbers were not held at bay, everyone who was caught in the middle would be quite literally trampled. Loki's advice to withhold mercy was certainly paying off now.

Thor alone was able to hold off the most at once, but he absolutely hated not having his hammer. It made every action he did just that much harder. Hena was using her power to enhance his own while she fought and he was capitalizing on that to its fullest potential. He almost seemed to have lightening pulsing at the tips of his fingers occasionally.

The Anaheimien soldiers were more prepared for this type of fighting than anyone would have guessed. They were outnumbered, but Thanos' weakminded followers were very outskilled.

And, for now, they were winning.

The Warriors stayed relatively close to each other. That was the way they had always trained and that is how they continued to fight to this day. They knew each other's techniques all too well. The Chitari didn't have their own individual motives, so they were predictable and easy to defeat. Thanos knew this. Therefore, he simply sent them in large quantities.

The only advantage Black Widow and Hawkeye had was the fact that they had fought these creatures before.

Along with that, Tony was much more helpful now that he had his suit back. In fact, he wasn't actually engaging in the fighting. Valder and Odin had given him the task of flying overhead to warn them of other incoming danger. When the Anaheimien soldiers had gotten their things that Thanos had stolen, he'd had their earpiece radios among his things. All of the mortals were connected, which helped to speed along any relay of information.

"You don't suppose that they'll send in any of those massive Chitari, do you?" Black Widow asked, using a long spear dropped by one of Thanos' warriors to flip an Outrider onto it's back and give it a quick death.

"I feel like I destroyed those all when I nuked their place." Tony said "Although, I thought I killed all the Chitari too. Apparently they had plenty more where the others came from."

"Hena and Thor seem to make a good team. They could probably take one down by themselves." Hawkeye said, doing a double take at the royal children fighting together.

"I mean, I took one down in about ten seconds, but I think that would be my limit." Tony replied.

"We might want to avoid that this time." Jarvis informed him, his computer automated voice reflecting the most concern it could.

"Do you not understand what fun is, Jarvis?" Tony asked lightly "Last time I flew into space okay? There are only so many experiences a human gets to have."

"If those things come now, we're going to lose a lot more men." Captain America sounded bleak. Just like they had on Earth.

"Do we have any word on the dead ancestors yet?" Tony asked "That would really help our chances of...living."

"Let them worry about that. You just need to let us know what Thanos is doing over there."

"Yes, Captain. I'd give you a salute, but I think that might distract me." Tony replied sarcastically. He began to fly a bit closer to the opposite side, eyes following every movement on his screen.

Black Widow grunted as one of the creatures tackled her to the ground. She jammed one of her hand tasers into its neck just as it began biting towards her face. The Outrider convulsed and fell sideways to the ground. It was still alive, but Black Widow let it be as she attempted to stand up. Her being on the ground had attracted a lot of attention. More of the Chitari were there in a second, raising their guns to fire at her.

But Hawkeye had also seen. It only took one explosive arrow to send the group flying in all directions. Then, he trotted over to her swiftly.

"Might want to stay on your feet, Nat. These things aren't playing." he said with a wry smile.

"I thought that's what WE were doing. Boy am I in the wrong place." she replied with a few deep breaths. Her lip was bleeding, but she didn't look to be hurt more than that.

"We always seem to end up in the middle of things." Hawkeye muttered.

"Well." Black Widow shrugged "I mean, we did accept this opportunity. It was in the job description."

"In the fine print that no one cares about." Hawkeye replied with a nod.

"I think I'll resign after today. Hopefully with all of my limbs. And face." Black Widow added.

"God knows you shouldn't replace your face." Tony mused into their ears.

He flew over Hena on his way out, briefly distracting her from her observation of the fighting.

"Do we want the scepter?" she asked, breathing hard as she turned her eyes to Thor. She blinked as she watched him throw one of the aliens to the side as if it were a toy.

"Only Loki knew how to properly use it." he growled, shaking out his arm "We would waste time trying to do it ourselves."

"Better in our hands than in theirs." Hena pointed out. She readjusted her grip on her knife, making Thor realize how similarly her and Loki held their weapons. He wondered if it has always been that way or if she had just picked it up from his brother.

"This is your realm." he replied "You don't need to ask me."

"You have the advantage over me in fighting battles." Hena responded honestly.

"Do you _see_ Red Skull?" Thor asked, following her gaze intently. He hadn't seen the mutant since the start of the battle, but he would be more than happy to cross paths.

Unfortunately, the princess shook her head. Thor exhaled, jaw shifting as he walked forward towards the upcoming wave of Outriders.

* * *

Thanos clenched his fist and the purple stone in his gauntlet glowed brighter still. He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. The portal was still maintaining its stability quite well. He'd prepared for this upkeep of power through numerous tests already, but being forced barricade Asgard's leaders on Anaheim had hindered their own traveling abilities. And, losing their opening was a literal guarantee that they would lose the actual fight.

The portal suddenly expanded from the surge of energy that emitted from the Infinity Stone. More and more of his Chitari were able to come through at once. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to bring the ships carrying them. Large inanimate objects were near impossible to transport without the Tesseract. Which, thanks to the dead God of Mischief, was clear across space in Asgard. Once this was over, Thanos fully intended to retrieve it and pay a visit to Loki in Helheim. The God's suffering was sure to be continuing there, but he wanted to make it slightly more personal.

"When and if you would like to enter the battle, I will gladly take your place in making sure our troops can enter this realm " Red Skull spoke from his side. They both glanced towards each other at the same time. But, Thanos' gaze was slightly more cold.

"No. I will remain in control of the gauntlet." he said in response. Then he looked away.

Red Skull didn't remove his gaze for a second. The moment he'd met Thanos, the Titan had both needed and wanted him. But, he'd never quite been able to get onto his good side like Loki had. Being from Midgard, he had little to offer when compared to a former Prince of Asgard. One of the reasons he'd hated Loki so much.

"Shall I leave then?" he asked, still waiting for a little bit more of a reaction.

Thanos glanced down again and then shook his head.

"No, stay here. I'd like you to take control of Thor when we get the chance." he smiled slightly. While that wasn't necessary, it was certainly an appealing idea. If they could just take the leaders of the other side one by one, the war would be over in a matter of hours.

* * *

A long blast from Gungnir immediately obliterated the group of Chitari gathering at the edge of their bunker. Odin lowered his staff, eyes narrowed. Not many of them were attempting to attack the leaders directly, but any that did were killed on sight.

Behind the Asgardian king, Svleiva was waiting anxiously for Valder to return. He'd left to join his daughter in fighting, but he had told his wife he wouldn't be gone for long.

Frigga was dutifully standing by for word from Valhalla and Odin remained with her. His days of direct combat were largely behind him, but he intended to join the soldiers when Valder returned. His queen would disapprove, he knew.

"Can you see Hena?" Svleiva spoke to the pair of them. It was the first time she had spoken since her husband left.

"Yes, she is with Thor." Odin was the one to respond to her "Valder hasn't reached her yet, but he is near."

"Thor will protect her." Frigga assured the queen. Even before his maturation on Earth, her son had been a fierce defender of those he fought beside. He and Hena had clearly formed a very close bond within the last few weeks.

"And she him, I hope. She should be able to magnify his strength. That will help." Svleiva responded. She exhaled and fell silent.

Neither of them had their younger children there. It was an incredibly sobering thought.

There was a call from down the slope and Hawkeye came trotting up. He had a few deep cuts that were bleeding, namely one across his forehead and lower left arm. But, other than that, he just looked winded.

"Thor and Hena wanted to know if you wanted us to go after the scepter." he said, taking in a few deep breaths "Red Skull...Red Skull has it."

"Not unless the opportunity arises." Odin responded, eyeing the mortal warily "No one should approach him on a whim."

Hawkeye nodded before turning his attention to the queen of Anaheim.

"Have Chitari been trying to get to the women and children?" he asked, revealing the true reason behind his return.

Svleiva tilted her head slightly "No, there has not been any attack there. Why? Have you seen them approaching there?"

"I saw some heading in that direction. Thanos wouldn't know that's where they are, would they?"

"He should not. Unless there is a fresh traitor in our ranks. Your children are safe." Svleiva assured him "But, you are injured. Let our healers help you before you return."

"I'm fine." Hawkeye turned it down with a shake of his head "I've fought a lot longer before without medical attention."

"Young man, you're a mortal. You will not last as long against these creatures." Frigga spoke now, although Svleiva nodded along with her.

"I've fought the Chitari before." Hawkeye reminded them, trying very hard not to bite back at the fact that she called him 'young man.'

"Yes and nearly died when you fought a Jotun. There will be more than the Chitari, I can assure you." Odin said firmly. He inclined Gungnir after his words.

Hawkeye scowled, completely ready to object again, but more of the Outriders were beginning to break their line. They were immediately halted, but he didn't like the idea of them getting so close to women and children hidden farther back. He was closer to them here.  
So, he just nodded and let the Anaheimien maids pull him to the side and tend to him.

* * *

Hena took a few steps back from the fighting, trying to catch her breath. She was absolutely glistening with sweat. There were no breaks when they came into the thick of their enemies. She drew in a few deep heaves. She could keep fighting, but she hated the emotional toll that killing other beings took on her. While these beings weren't very sentient, they could feel pain and she didn't enjoy causing that.

She only had a few moments before one of them noticed her standing on the sidelines and immediately came for her. She kicked at it, but its staff sliced across her upper arm and she gasped. With two well-aimed strikes, she took its life and it fell to the ground. Gratefully, her blade didn't hold any blood on it, even when there were multiple killings in a row.

Hena put one hand on her forehead and let out a quiet sob. She wiped away the sweat, leaving a red streak behind.

"Hena." Thor slowly backed up until he was next to her, eyes flicking across the battle to make sure they were safe for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked, finally taking in her expression.

With a loud exhale, Hena nodded, getting ahold of herself.

"I just need a moment."

"You don't need to stay here." Thor told her, raising his arm protectively as another Outrider appeared to be running towards them.

"I need to be here more than anyone else. Thanos took away something I'll never be able to get back." Hena said, straightening herself.

"Then, at least go closer to your parents." Thor grabbed the creature to stop it and then twisted its neck to the right.

"No. I'll stay." she responded as it fell. The God of Thunder glanced her way with a concerned furrow of his eyebrows. She knew what he wasn't saying and she appreciated his worry for her. It was heartwarming to feel that he would protect her in Loki's absence, but that's not what she wanted. Not from him.

"There has to be a better way of stopping them all. We can't kill all of them one by one." she said, stating the truth even though she knew he also knew it.

"We'll find another way. If we can get my hammer, I'll be able to help much more." Thor told her. His eyes lifted to something behind her and Hena turned around.

Valder walked over to them and took his daughter in a light embrace. She hugged him back, immediately letting out a breath of relief. Then she pulled back.

"What's happening? Is everything okay back there?"

The king nodded "Yes, it's alright. We're handling them well for now."

"Any sign of Mazi?" Hena asked, sounding hopeful.

But, her father just shook his head worriedly "No, not yet."

"We'll keep watch for her." Thor assured him. Valder nodded gratefully.

"Are we going to lose this?" Hena asked her father honestly. She stared at him, wanting to hear what he actually thought. He always did his best to reassure his wife and children, but that wasn't what needed to happen now.

Valder hesitated for several moments, face creased with concern.

"Hena, if Thanos has the amount of followers that Loki claimed he did, we can't hope to defeat him without gaining some sort of an advantage. Odin and I have a plan, but this battle is not in our favor."

"I'll fight to the death." Hena said adamantly "He will not get to use me for his brutal conquests."

"No, he will not. But if that moment comes, I want you to leave. Your mother will take you across our border."

"I'm not going to run. Do you realize how terrible a life that would be? I refuse to let Thanos make me live my life in fear. I would sooner join Valhalla."

"We'll stop him." Valder said softly, although he wasn't at all confident.

"Or I _will_ die trying." Hena replied, leaving little room for argument.

Thor didn't join the conversation, but, like Valder, he knew he wasn't going to allow the princess to get killed before he did.

The king moved protectively in front of her at the screech of a Chitari, but nothing was coming. Thor and Hena didn't react; they'd grown accustomed to the sound.

"The second group just went out." Valder slowly dragged his gaze away to look back at his daughter "We're pulling back the first. Both of you need to come in as well."

"What have my parents said?" Thor asked.

"Your mother is still communicating with Valhalla, but it will take time. Thanos is using the power he used to open the borders for other purposes now." Valder shook his head slightly "We can't afford to have our soldiers deplete themselves. Come in and then you'll be of more use."

"I need to get my mortal friends." Thor responded, but again the king shook his head.

"No, I have others sent to tell them."

Thor hesitated before nodding. As soon as the group moved, more of the Outriders followed.

* * *

Hawkeye released an arrow and immediately reached for another one in his quiver. His eyes narrowed as he moved his aim along with his target. A lot of the creatures appeared to be heading towards the safehouse, but they weren't showing any sign that it was their intended destination. He didn't want to give away the fact that he was protecting something in particular, so he kept his focus on the ones coming rather than the ones closest.

Svleiva had been extremely confident in his family's safety, which made him wonder if there was some sort of magic defending their hiding place. It wouldn't surprise him. Either way though, none of the kings and queens had objected to his staying behind to put his mind at ease.

"Is everything alright?" Frigga asked, examining her husband's face carefully. It had changed from the constant concern to one of deep contemplation.

Odin pressed his lips together briefly, unsure of what to say.

"Asgard is riled. Something has disturbed our realm."

Frigga drew in a deep breath. Being appointed king had made his ability to sense danger on Asgard quite powerful. That sensitivity had likely been diminished here on Anaheim, but she didn't doubt what he felt.

"What can you tell?" she questioned.

"Very little. But I am afraid that Thanos has sent more to attack there."

Frigga frowned "Heimdall would have warned them."

Odin's fingers tightened on Gungnir "We've learned that this is not always the case. He cannot see what Thanos doesn't allow him to. If our borders were weakened without my knowing, our enemies would have had simple access."

"Perhaps it is best that his army is divided." Frigga pointed out, although this didn't reflect her worry.

Odin did not respond verbally, but he nodded lightly. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to be worried about Asgard at the moment. Their realm would have to make due without their leaders for now.

* * *

Both Hena and Valder tried to reach out to Mazi with their minds as they made their way back to Svleiva. The block on the girl's power had been for her protection, but the king was regretting it now. Still, there was a chance that they could break through. Mazi had a habit of doing that.

Thor's eyes narrowed as he watched one creature in particular sprint in front of them. It didn't quite look like a fully developed Chitari, but it wasn't an Outrider either. He was starting to see more and more of them on the battlefield, which he took as a very bad sign. Thanos could simply be holding back a different group of these animals. Playing with the Anaheimien army until they wore themselves out. He stretched out his fingers, jaw clenching as he strained for his hammer.

"Hand exercises?" Tony's voice echoed over his suit. Thor looked up as his friend came to a landing beside him.

"What is Thanos doing?" he asked, closing his fist slightly. They hadn't seen each other for a while and the way Tony had approached made him concerned.

"Letting more and more in. Some big, some small, but there's certainly room for all." Tony responded, waving a hand towards the field.

"There has to be a way to close it." Valder said, eyeing the mortal with a smallest hint of annoyance "Or at least reduce its size."

"We have done that before, oddly enough. If only this were the Tesseract holding it open. Just poke it with the scepter, take a nuke out to space, and the battle is won." Tony shrugged. He retracted his helmet, eyes on Thor.

"Is Red Skull with Thanos?" the God asked, sounding very discouraged already.

"Last I saw, yes."

"Keep an eye on him. We may want to try getting the scepter from them." Valder broke in.

"I can do anything you want me to do, but I don't think we're really making any progress here. They're gaining ground every few seconds." Tony replied. He turned sharply around at a loud growl, but realized it wasn't for them.

"Hena, we need to get you back to your mother. Together, you and her may be able to help Frigga to allow Valhalla in. They know we could use the help." Valder reached out a hand towards his daughter to continue guiding her back.

Tony opened a palm and sent a long laser into several approaching Chitari.

"Well." he said with a grunt as he took off again "I'll try and keep 'em off your tail. Send up some lightening if you need help. I shan't be far away."

Thor glanced after him as he walked. In the end, he was grateful for his friends. But he didn't want them to be here. He'd dragged them into this. Something that had nothing to do with their world.

"Thanos would have gotten to them in time. Whether they were here with you or not." Hena said back at him. She beckoned him along with them. More of the creatures were heading towards them now. Tony couldn't hold them all off.

They were only about one hundred yards from Odin and Frigga when they were cut off entirely. Thor was knocked over entirely as an Outrider came at him from the side. He literally wrestled with it for several seconds, preventing its claws from ripping into him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Valder and Hena were in trouble as well. There were no Anaheimien soliders around to help. They were all deeper in the battlefield.

Another one joined the creature already attacking Thor and for a moment, he was completely pinned down. They were snarling as they ruthlessly tried to give a lethal blow.

The thought of that reminded him suddenly of both Loki and Odin's advice for fighting. With a sudden surge of energy, he threw himself forward and both of the Outriders off of him.  
He looked over at Hena and Valder and found that the princess was staring back at him. It was only for a moment, as she had her own battle to fight. She couldn't use her powers for herself, so she had used it for him.

He immediately headed over to them, but several Chitari were approaching and firing their weapons at all of them. He'd already been struck by a blast once before and wasn't looking to repeat it. If he could throw an illusion right now, he absolutely would. But, he'd never learned to do so.

Thor leapt to the right to avoid the oncoming spray of fire. There was debris that he could partly get behind, at least until he got his bearings. Dirt flew above and onto him as he got back to his feet.

Fortunately, a small group of soldiers had made their way over to engage with the Chitari. He watched as they turned around to follow the men, taking in quick breaths.

There was a faint roaring in the distance and his shoulders sank in absolute dread and terror. There was no way they would be able to fight off yet another army. He was already exhausted. Everyone was getting weaker. That sound meant the battle was far from over now.

The roar came again. This time it sounded much closer and he turned forebodingly.

Hena suddenly gasped and lifted her hands to her temples as if an overwhelming surge of power hit her. Her and Valder had fought off the ones attacking them and had both been standing in the same anticipation as he had.  
As the creatures appeared over the top of the hill, Thor's eyes shot open in disbelief.

The Frost Giants he had heard were lined up across the ridge, but so was the whole Asgardian army. Heimdall stood with a Frost Giant at the lead of them. But Thor's heart nearly skipped a beat as he realized that this Frost Giant was half the size of the others and wore Asgardian armor.

The Jotuns let out another battle cry, this time joined by the Aesir as they looked at the war in front of them.

Odin stared incredulously. Thor couldn't remember ever seeing his father in such complete shock.

Loki motioned his warriors forward with a flick of his hand. Frost Giants descended like a wave into the fighting grounds without hesitation. Hawkeye stepped back from them, an arrow drawn protectively. They rushed past the kings and queens and launched themselves at any Chitari they could see. The overwhelming assistance to the Anaheimien soldiers sent the frontline of the battle at least a couple hundred yards forward.

Heimdall and Loki walked down the hill towards the others and Hawkeye lowered his bow to peer at them. Hena immediately rushed over.

"Loki, oh my god!" she said with the same expression as Thor. But the God of Mischief stepped back quickly.

"Careful." he warned "I cannot touch you yet."

Hena looked at his blue skin briefly before raising her eyes to his face and he stared right back.

"I lost the bond. I thought you were dead...how are you alive?" she sounded so rattled, her voice was barely audible.

"People have a habit of burying me before I'm dead." he replied simply, turning to Valder, Svleiva, and Odin. Two Frost Giants remained nearby, eyes on Loki.

Heimdall approached his king, wielding a different sword than the one he used to open the Bifrost.

Odin looked on his lead soldier.

"Get the men into battle." he said "Now."

The man nodded and waved a hand to the massive group behind him. The Jotuns were still racing over the hillside with no signs of stopping. Ice had formed over that portion of the grass, giving them the terrain they were used too.

Captain America, who had been relieved of the incessant fighting just like Thor, walked over to see them. He breathed heavily, sweat glistening on his face as he just gaped.

"How did you open the Bifrost to Anaheim?" Odin demanded, skipping any greetings between him and his watchman.

"The council granted me permission, my king." Heimdall responded, although he had more to say than that.

"But, how did you come to know we were here?" Thor asked before turning to his brother in relief "You...they didn't kill you."

"No. They found that I was a Frost Giant and that was reason enough to leave me alive until I woke up to explain." Loki responded.

"Red Skull said he was going to tell them everything." Thor replied.

"I have no idea whether he did or not." Loki said, eyebrows going up. His red eyes didn't waver "They weren't friendly. But I revealed my true identity to them. Otherwise, they may very well have killed me. They don't care whether I have lived in their realm or not. Blood is the only thing that matters in their eyes."

There was sudden triumphant and jubilant uproar from the battleground. The Anaheimien army raised their weapons with yells of elation as the other realms joined them in the fight.  
Valder smiled as he watched his men in their absolute relief.

From the other side of the courtyard, they could now see Thanos trying to understand exactly what was happening. He sent more of his creatures forward, eyes narrowed angrily.

"Loki told us you would be here." Heimdall said "Otherwise, I doubt we would have ever suspected."

"How did you return to Asgard?" Odin asked, now looking at Loki.

"I used the pathway connecting Jotunheim and Asgard. Fortunately, I knew right where that one was." Loki replied, without any hesitation "Asgardian guards found me and I asked them to take me to Heimdall." he let out a faint laugh "They were harder to convince than the Jotuns. I quite literally had to get on my knees to beg. That persuaded them to at least take me to the council and I conceded to that. Once I explained, they took me to Heimdall to confirm it. Then, I briefly managed remove the shield from his eyes and he was able to see exactly what was happening on Anaheim."

"And they overturned the law." Odin deduced with a raise on his chin in realization.

"Yes. I essentially...convinced the council to overthrow you." Loki said off-handedly with a shrug and glance away. The king's mouth curved up ever so slightly.

"Heimdall brought Jotunheim to Asgard and then sent us here." Loki continued. He glanced at Hena "I had to sever our connection, though I knew what it would imply had happened to me. It took too much to maintain it."

"But, breaking it would have been much harder. Could have killed you!" Hena exclaimed sharply.

"Yes, and it took most of what I had left. It was a risk." Loki conceded "But, then I was able to use that power to try and recover." he looked down at his icy blue hand "I suspect being in my true form helped."

Thor watched as Hena again swept her eyes over his brother, but they didn't show any unease. It was hard not to express his relief at her indifference aloud. Loki looked very different as a Frost Giant. Though his face was still recognizable, his eyes were red as blood and distinct marks lined his forehead.

"Thank you for bringing them." Svleiva spoke with heavy emotion in her voice. Relief, but still fear.

"Do you have a plan?" Valder asked.

"No." Loki responded, with a small mischievous narrow of his eyes as he turned back to the battlefield "But I have theirs." he held out a hand.

"Odin, if you would."

Thor blinked in brief confusion and unintentionally held his next breath.

Odin stared at Loki, although the Jotun was not looking back. Then, he raised a hand and definitively place it on his son's outstretched arm. The blue slowly began to leave Loki's hand and then traveled across his face until he appeared fully Aesir.

Odin almost seemed to hesitate before letting go, but as soon as he did, Hena reached to embrace Loki. He hugged her back with one arm, but as he did, Thor realized that his brother was nowhere near healed.

He still had the horrible burns all over his skin. They showed blue now that his skin was light and they looked very raw and painful. The cuts and bruises were still there and The God of Thunder suddenly realized that the second son of Odin may not be as fit for battle as he acted.

"Now. We need the get the scepter from Red Skull. Whoever controls that, controls the Chitari." Loki said as he released Hena. Suddenly, he faltered, voice catching in his throat as he took a step back.

Frigga had finally stepped into view.

Loki just stared, not one word coming to his mouth. In fact, he almost looked fearful. But her gaze held nothing but adoration for him.

"Hold fast, my son. We will have time to talk after." she said gently "There is a battle to fight for now."

For several long moments, he still did not move. Then he nodded affirmatively and looked back at the fighting. The war was much more in their favor now. From Thanos' intent observance, that might not be the case for long. More Chitari were approaching by the minute.

The Frost Giants fought with less unity than the other two realms there, but they also approached the enemies with less hesitation.

The group's attention was shifted to the Anaheimien guards stationed nearby that had left their post and were approaching Valder.

"They're sending forces into the palace." the first one said to his king. His worried expression showed that he clearly wanting to do something about this.

"Good." Valder said "Keep their attention there rather than on the common homes."

The soldier let out a deep breath before withdrawing again.

Thor looked over at the Jotuns just a few feet away. It was very hard not to stare. Their focus was clearly on Loki, but they didn't miss a word any of them said.

"Boy, have we got help."

They looked up as Tony flew over them. He stopped and simply hovered with flat palms and feet. Then, he lowered himself to the ground and let his helmet retract.

"Well, the Frost Giants changed sides." he said importantly, even though everyone was already aware. Then his eyebrows went up and he took a rather dramatic step back "And, we got our portal-sensing man back from the dead, good lord! What other goodies do we have?"

"A lot more than before." Captain America said, switching the hand he was holding his shield with and walking past his friend "We've got to go back in. There's still too many."

"Thanos is rallying more troops, Allfather." Heimdall said, surveying the God of Death. Then he looked at Loki.

"Do you think they're ready?" the Jotun asked.

"They've had enough time to prepare." Heimdall replied with a nod.

"Then, let's begin." Loki maneuvered his hands in a circular motion and in an instant, the Tesseract materialized.

Hena blinked in shock and stepped back involuntarily. It had so much power emanating from it. Even more than she had felt from the scepter.

The group stared at it warily. Loki would have had to enter the Vault to retrieve the Tesseract. But Heimdall was looking at the God of Mischief calmly, having been well aware that this was going to happen.

"Hena, I will need your help for this." Loki said, eyes flicking over to her.

"What are you doing?" Valder asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Thanos was going to use the nine realms against us. Now we get to use them against him." Loki responded with a hint of a smile.

"We sent word to each of our allies." Heimdall said, nodding as he confirmed what had already been said "They have prepared their troops for battle."

"And we'll use this to bring them here." Loki continued with an appreciative glance at him.

"Open a portal here and overrun them." Thor said, suddenly feeling much more hopeful about their chances in this fight.

"Yes. But, he has many more reserves than there are here." Loki responded "We can't assume an easy victory quite yet."

"Yeah, I definitely saw some new alien type things heading our way." Tony confirmed.

"He has not sent them out yet." Heimdall said "But he will once he sees his forces are being defeated."

Loki took a step back from the group, eyes fixated on the Tesseract in his possession.

"Loki, be careful." Odin warned him.

"Yes, I am aware this would kill me if I used it for this myself. But, with Hena helping, I should be able to handle it." the God of Mischief responded.

Frigga peered at the Tesseract "That power can help Valhalla cross over."

"I didn't know that you could open a portal to Valhalla." Loki replied, eyebrows up in surprise.

Frigga smiled. It was rare to shock him and sometimes she enjoyed seeing it, even as his mother "You cannot. But, the Tesseract is endless. And they could use that now to come here. Thanos does not know what he tampered with."

"Then hopefully this takes him by surprise too." Loki said, turning to face just slightly away from them. Hena quickly stepped over, as if worried he would start before she was there to help him.

"Things are going to get a lot worse when I use this." Loki warned "Thanos will see my using the Tesseract as a taunt." Then he partway shrugged in amusement and muttered "Which it is."

"Does he know you're alive?" Hena asked.

"Not yet." Loki replied "But, then again, he only heard my 'death' from passing word. He confirmed nothing for himself."

Hena hesitated a moment. She was confident in her skills until it came to another person's life.

"What do you need to me to do?"

"Just try to keep my personal power stable while I control this." Loki explained.

"Just stable? Or shall I increase it?" Hena asked. For her there was a significant difference.

"No, don't do that. The Tesseract will be doing enough on it's own." Loki responded with a quick shake of his head "Are you ready?"

"I'm not doing the hard part." Hena said with a shake of her head "Are _you_ ready?"

"Most definitely." Loki gave a small smile in her direction.

"Bring Vanaheim first." Heimdall said "They were warned before the others."

"Be ready for our enemies to make an attempt to breach our frontline." Valder advised the others.

Thor glanced and then stepped towards the courtyard. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the Chitari. They already appeared to be fighting to the best of their ability. Odin and Frigga both walked closer to Loki as Anaheim's princess put her hands on him.

"I have you." Hena told him, sounding nervous.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine." Loki assured her, sounding like he was concentrating hard "Let's begin."

Thor watched as the Tesseract suddenly pulsed and he froze. The unpleasant sound reminded him of the attack at Hawkeye's home. He immediately felt the huge blast of pure energy in front of him and had to resist taking a step back.

"Doesn't he need something to stabilize the Tesseract itself?" Hawkeye asked, raising his voice over the loud noise. Very few heard him, but Svleiva looked at him curiously, wondering how he would know to ask that.

She didn't know that Hawkeye had been around Eric Selvig as he prepared a proper contraption for the Tesseract, even if he couldn't fully recall everything he'd learned. However, Selvig's machine had only been necessary because Loki was not personally handling the Space Stone and Hena had not been there with him on Midgard. The God of Mischief knew exactly what he was doing. Earth had little to offer in the area of Infinity Stones, no matter what they believed themselves capable of.

The mortal's question went unanswered as the Tesseract shot out a blue stream of light. It seemed to hit an invisible wall and then expand rapidly. Suddenly, they could see into another realm and a large group of soldiers waiting there. They began running through with loud battle cries reverberating among them.

Hogun raised his weapon in greeting and then turned to run with the members of his realm into battle.

Thor watched that momentarily, tempted to go with them. He felt a brief sense of gratitude for his friend. He was quiet at the best of times, but loyal to the end.

Loki stayed there for several more moments before very carefully beginning to withdraw his hands from the blue cube. Hena stepped back with him without removing her grip on his shoulder.

The Tesseract stayed where it was, continually being enveloped in the pulsing pockets of energy all around it. Loki continued to back up cautiously until he was far enough away to consider himself safe.

Odin observed the portal with a raised chin. He had only personally used the Tesseract once in his lifetime and this was a reminder as to why. It was far too powerful for any one being to control.

"Alright, you can stop." Loki said to Hena, placing one hand over hers without looking over. Then he turned back around to the others.

"Valder, pull our men back." Svleiva said, eyes creased with concern as she saw that their side was bow able to take larger and larger strides on the battlefield.

"They wouldn't come." he replied "This is their home as much as ours. They're under no orders to keep fighting."

Svleiva didn't respond, but from her large exhale, they could tell she wasn't satisfied.

"We need to go after Adden. He should be back with Mazi." she said, once again reminding her husband of this.

"Where is Mazi?" Loki asked Hena, looking over at her with slightly wide eyes.

"We don't know. She was on the other side of the palace grounds when Thanos came. Adden was sent to get her. They have not come yet." Hena responded worriedly "But we risk leading enemies right towards them if we send someone to search."

"Adden will have hidden her if he did not feel it was safe to bring her." Valder said, speaking to his wife as much as Loki.

"Thanos doesn't have her. He would be using that to his advantage if he did. It is likely no one even knows they're out there." Loki responded.

"We can put others to that task now that we have reinforcements." Odin said, with one glance at Anaheim's queen.

Loki surveyed the war with a slight smile "We'll have to-"

He was cut off as a voice suddenly roared his name from across the courtyard. It was filled with absolute fury.

And it was Thanos.

The God of Mischief had jerked his head up slightly, but he did little else to react. For a half second, he didn't move, eyes unfocused. Then, he smiled suddenly, gaze flicking briefly at the others.

"The secret is out."

Hena's eyes flew open as he began walking right up the small hill that kept the group concealed. She hurried forward and jerked him back.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Frigga had also already made her way over to them. She would have intervened if the Anaheimien princess had not.

"I'm giving him what he wants." Loki responded, simply, still smiling "He wants me to show myself. So, I will."

"No, you will not." Frigga said firmly.

"If I don't, he will change his approach and his plan in order to make me face him. Better I do it right off." Loki replied. He stared at them briefly before taking his arm back from Hena and leaving the women to walk up the hill.

"He is right, Hena." Valder said with a grim expression "He should face Thanos now."

"Not alone." Hena responded.

"He won't be alone." Thor said firmly with a swift glance at her.

* * *

Loki took the last few steps over the top of the ridge and stopped there to stare over at the massive Titan.

Thanos glared back, wishing more than anything that he could put the God of Mischief right back into his torture cell. Red Skull was still at his side, waving the scepter in anticipation.

Loki slowly held out his hands and shrugged, smirking at them ever so slightly.

"For a Frost Giant, you really enjoy playing with fire." Thanos somehow allowed his voice to carry across the battlefield without yelling.

"No, just your plans." Loki responded in the same manner.

"Is this your last stunt? To bring a few more realms here? They must really trust you if they think this will be enough. Once this is over, you are mine, dead or alive."

"Based on how your last attempt to kill me went, I won't hold my breath." Loki said, turning slightly to descend back down away from the God of Death.

Thor and the Warriors walked over towards him as they headed back out to the battle. Thor stopped by his brother and then Loki glanced over slightly.

"You're missing a hammer."

Thor's eyebrows flew up and he faced him fully "Do you know how to get it back?"

"I know who we have to kill to get it back." Loki corrected.

"Then, show me." Thor said.

Loki intended to respond, but he was distracted by Frigga examining the portal by the scepter. Odin had his army, Valder his, and Loki had Jotunheim. Now it was time for Frigga to bring hers.

"Are you going out?" Hena asked him. Loki shifted his gaze to her.

"Try and prevent me."

She smiled slightly, heart warming at how good it was to have him back.

With the battle much more fair than before, both the mortals and immortals went to line up beside the God of Mischief.

* * *

"They have Asgard's watchman here now." Red Skull reported to Thanos. He had a slight sneer on his face "They'll have a more detailed view of our activities."

"Heimdall should not have full sight. The restrictions from Anaheim are still in force. Bring in Ebony." the Titan growled in response "He should be able to limit their observance without issue."

"I'll have him sent." Red Skull obeyed, gesturing at one of his guards next to him.

"I want him dead." Thanos added and no one needed to question who he was talking about "I would rather lose Anaheim than let him leave this realm."

"Well..." Red Skull said thoughtfully "You said you wanted him to suffer. I would rather inflict that myself, but if you're willing to sacrifice a useful part of your plan, we might be able to make him really regret leaving us."

"What do you have in mind?" Thanos honestly didn't sound that interested. Nor focused on his servant. But Red Skull continued anyway.

"A few of the Chitari returned early from the palace raid. They reported seeing who they thought was Valder's youngest child. She was surrounded by guards and they disappeared in an instant once more of our soldiers arrived. But they left her alone per your orders to try and take Svleiva and her daughters alive. That, and they would have needed more to get around the Anaheimien guards."

Finally, Thanos looked down at him.

"She's not with her parents." he said in half curiosity and half realization.

"No. Far from it."

After several moments of contemplation, Thanos smiled.

"Yes, I think I can afford to deviate from that desire. Go and find Mazi, Red Skull. No need to bring her to me."

"Absolutely." the mutant replied, turning from his master's side.

* * *

A massive Frost Giant grabbed a Chitari and hurled it to the side before forming a long blade of ice on his arm and using it to kill several more.

Volstagg and Fandral shared a brief glance. They had only fought Frost Giants once in their lifetime, but the tales told on Asgard had been enough for an opinion to form. However, now they were fighting side by side and the Jotuns didn't seem to care one bit about their rivalry. They'd seen a Frost Giant save the life of an Asgardian soldier more than once. So, the Warriors were going to do their best to reciprocate that.

"Can anyone see where Red Skull is with the scepter?" that was Captain America just a few yards away.

"It's nowhere over here." Hawkeye responded over the earpiece "Unless he's invisible, which is very possible."

"Loki and Thor are headed across the battlefield, but I don't think it's for that." Tony responded "And I can't get to either of them without putting a red dot on their back."

"They're going to get his hammer back. Try not to give them up." Black Widow said, using an Anaheimien spear to stab one of the Outriders "But, if we can turn these Chitari around before they get back, I won't complain."

"Those aren't even the problem, it's the little guys that can skirt around everything you throw at them." Hawkeye replied.

"Then shoot, don't throw." Tony advised.

"Where's Hena?" Captain America asked, not giving any of them a chance to really acknowledge the joke.

"She went with Thor and Loki, but I don't see her there now." Tony responded.

* * *

Thor was slightly uneasy about Loki getting so close to Thanos' territory. But, his brother was leading the way without leaving Thor a chance to object. They were fighting their way across the courtyard to get to their enemies side. The God of Thunder didn't know who they had to kill to get Mjolnir back. He was simply following Loki. He was certain his brother would have gone whether he came or not.

There were always at least two Frost Giants fighting beside them. They defended their king in particular, and it actually seemed to annoy Loki at times.

"Why did you suppose that you would be able to convince Heimdall that we needed help over the council?" Thor asked as he kicked one of the Outriders and then slammed it into the ground.

"Because Heimdall would be able to see you." Loki responded, wiping his forehead as he stared at the upcoming opponents. But, they were diverted by both Jotuns and Asgardians before they reached the princes.

"Yes, but if you felt that the council members would have been easier to persuade, they could have gone to Heimdall for you."

"I decided to skip that step." Loki said. After a brief pause, he continued with a deep breath "I would consider Heimdall to be more of a friend. I thought he would be more willing to listen. But the council members went to him right after, so it didn't matter."

Thor didn't respond, but he was happy to hear that Loki still felt he could have gone to someone in Asgard for help, even if they would have been distrustful. His eyebrows went up as he saw his younger brother's hand flip his knife around and slide it into his armor.

"Let's go." he said.

"Every one of Thanos' men is going to be looking for you." Thor reminded him.

"Then, stay back if you'd rather." Loki retorted.

"That isn't what I meant." Thor growled back, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, if you meant anything else, then keep your mouth shut. I'll get your hammer back alone and you can go and help the others track down the scepter." the younger son sounded much more irritated than he did angry.

"Won't it be over here too?" Thor queried.

"That's possible, but I have my doubts. Thanos will keep it on the move. He definitely doesn't want us in control of his Chitari."

The God of Thunder nodded and went to follow his brother. But, he still felt uneasy about it. Then, after a few more seconds, he finally succumbed.

"Loki, you should stay back here." he said firmly "Thanos isn't going to let you get away if he catches you this time."

He waited for a response from the Frost Giant, but had to look over when he didn't receive one. Loki didn't move to say anything. Then Thor's stomach sank.

He definitively reached over and put his hand through the illusion to let it fade. With a frustrated growl, he looked ahead where his brother would be heading. Loki had known he'd protest his going. He had been gone the second Thor opened his mouth.

* * *

Almost all of Vanaheim was through the portal now, and Odin was preparing to change it to allow Alfheim in. Heimdall had informed him that had been the second realm he and Loki had warned. The light elves were peaceful much like Anaheim, but they would follow Asgard's lead without hesitation. They had more magical skills to offer than physical fighting, but that would only add to the natural abundance of it in Anaheim.

Valder had just returned from fighting and was approaching Firo, who was waiting for him.

"How bad are the casualties?" he asked, sheathing his sword as he arrived.

"A lot less than we would have expected, but our men have suffered the worst as you can imagine." Firo reported grimly "I think twenty are dead and we have several hundred being treated for their wounds. Asgard and Vanaheim have not lost any as far as I know at this time. It is hard to say for the Frost Giants. They will listen to us only if it is necessary to overcome a group of enemies together. Otherwise, they listen to their own and use their own strategies. Which, I won't undermine. They show no reserves with fighting alongside our men. But I cannot stop them from attacking, even if they are gravely injured. It is almost as if they have a personal vendetta."

"I doubt that." Odin spoke from a few feet away "Loki ordered them to fight with us and they do not fear for their lives as much as humanoid beings do. Only Loki would be able to convince them to be more cautious. But, that may not even be enough. It is their way." he then spoke directly to Anaheim's king "Order your men back. Let us take it for this moment. Your realm has suffered enough."

"We will need every possible soldier if we are going to defeat him." Valder responded with a shake of his head.

"Alfheim will come to replace them. It does not need to be permanent, but more will die needlessly if you don't force them to retreat." Odin said.

Valder very nearly narrowed his eyes over at the Allfather, but he knew that the older king was correct.

"Bring them in." he told Firo. His lead man nodded and hurried away to do just that. Valder turned to continue over to his wife. She was still flanked by her guards, looking very concerned.

"How are you doing?" he asked, glancing back at the fighting once.

"I am not fighting." Svleiva replied, although her voice suggested she wished she could.

"And you will not." Valder told her with a serious gaze.

"Our men are dying and I am not even there to defend them." she said with a hint of bitterness. She would never risk her unborn child's life, but hearing the report of her realm's losses had been painful "Can you see Hena?"

"She is fighting with our men, but Asgardian soldiers will take their place when ours leave. Loki wouldn't let her come with him to find way to get Mjolnir back."

"Well, I am grateful for that. But, he should not be going to Thanos' territory either. Actually, him in particular." Svleiva said. She looked over at Frigga with concern. The Asgardian queen had her chin raised as she stared across the battlefield for her sons. They had been sent to war far more times than Hena ever had, but she feared for them still the same. Odin had always promised her they would return and they always had. This time was different though. Winning this battle could determine the future of the universe. And that meant that any being would lay down their lives for the cause.

Svleiva returned her anxious gaze to her husband.

"Valder, please." she murmured "Let me go after Mazi."

He sighed "I will go for her soon. If Adden is going to come, it will be within the next several minutes. I will find her and bring her to you, I promise. But, you cannot go anywhere. I won't lose you. I can't."

"I can't lose her." Svleiva whispered firmly. He wrapped one arm around her head and pressed his lips to it.

The Tesseract's energy began to shift as Odin changed the destination of the portal. Within a few moments, they peered into a different realm and onto different creatures. They didn't move, unsure if they would be welcome.

"We're here to defend Anaheim." their leader stepped up first, looking at Odin as thought he needed to explain "Prince Loki came to us."

"Yes, he told us so. We are pulling back Anaheim's men and you can send in yours." the Allfather said with a nod at his ally.

The elves marched forward together, but their king stopped beside Valder to greet him.

"They'll come back." Odin said to his wife, finally acknowledging her fears. He left the inhabitants of Alfheim to enter as he spoke to Frigga. He took her hand to his lips "I thought you might have become more sensible from your past experiences."

Frigga shot him a look, only to find that he was staring at her in amusement.

"I've always been more sensible than my other half, but I am their mother yet." she said "And Loki...there is something awry, but I cannot discern it. I certainly do not want him going back to where Thanos can acquire him again."

"Neither he nor Thor will let that happen." Odin said.

"They cannot always prevent it. Loki has always been the more rational of the two of them, but he..." she exhaled "Even if he doesn't show it, he is determined to prove himself. And that puts him in a dangerous mindset."

"He's brought enough to help us." Odin responded.

"It's never enough for him." Frigga said with a shake of her head.

* * *

"There are Frost Giants here." Mazi exclaimed, staring at the battle in shock.

Adden followed her gaze, able to see that there was more than that. And, he was very surprised to see that they were all fighting on Anaheim's side. They had steered quite clear of the battlefield and only had a few times where they'd had to fight a few straggling Chitari.

"Does that mean Loki is here?" Mazi asked, looking up at Adden curiously.

The guard hesitated, mouth opening slightly. He had no way of knowing that was true. Loki was still dead as far as he was concerned.

"I don't know. We'll have to see what's happened when we get to your parents. Other realms have come to help us as well."

"Is Asgard here?" Mazi asked with a sudden excitement.

"Yes, I believe so. It seems that they managed to bring the nine realms here. That will be to our advantage."

"Then we will win." Mazi said definitively.

He smiled briefly, even though he wasn't as confident "Yes, we should."

"Adden, there's more fighting in our path. We'll have to wait or go further around." one of his men said, glancing at him.

Adden looked ahead at the large group that had convened ahead. There was both friend and foe. But, they were mostly concealed where they were. It would be foolish to move now.

"We'll wait here." he said finally "I just hope Valder and Svleiva don't send someone else to find Mazi."

* * *

Loki crept along the rather ruined wall that rested between the palace and the commons. He briefly glanced back, gaze contemplative. He had neatly evaded Thor and now it was time to do the same to Thanos. He was well hidden right now as the attack on the citizens' homes had been scaled back. There were a few of the Chitari that were skulking around the commons, but they were too far away to raise the alarm if they saw him.

Loki continued to walk quietly around the outer edge of Thanos' makeshift garrison. The gauntlet glowed purple from his fist, which clued Loki in to how he was keeping the portal open so long. He also knew the Titan would like nothing more than to get the other infinity stone across the battlefield. The Tesseract had always been his most coveted one.

To Loki's frustration, Red Skull was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to turn the Chitari around before a bigger portion of them were dead. Thanos would send as many of the clone soldiers in as he needed before pulling more reserves.

Then his eye caught exactly what he had come for. The tall, ugly, spindly beings were waiting silently just a little ways behind Thanos. They stood like statues, expressionless and still.

Loki raised his chin to get a better vantage point. He reached out to touch the wall. He drew a deep breath as his hand trembled until it made contact with the stone. He waited after that, ensuring that he was still fully in control. Then, he looked up with narrowed eyes, face hard with determination.

There were Chitari patrolling the perimeter and two were coming his way now. They were unlikely to see him unless they purposefully leaned over the wall to check. But, Loki was prepared for such an eventuality. Once they were close enough, he heaved himself over the wall with one leap and sank his daggers into both of them simultaneously. Thanos looked over just as Loki pulled his knives from their chests. Neither of the creatures had a chance to make a sound. They were dead instantly.

The Titan's eyes had widened slightly in disbelief. He immediately looked around for others, but once he saw that it was just Loki, he let his gaze fall to the God of Mischief. He smiled slightly, turning to face his former servant.

"Well." he said quietly "Loki, I did always like your spirit."

"I'm glad I had the priviledge of misleading you with it." Loki replied with a very sarcastic dip of his head.

Thanos clenched his fist, making the Power Stone shine even brighter. Loki immediately flinched, eyes closing briefly as the familiar wave of pain came over him. He glared up at Thanos, jaw tense.

"Not as triumphant now, are you?" the Titan growled menacingly. But, the effort of holding open the portal didn't leave a lot of energy for the stone to keep a hold on the God of Mischief.

"If you would like to have a fast death, I suggest you take your own life. Now." Thanos said. Loki's gaze flicked to something behind him.

"Thank you for the recommendation. I suggest you do same." he replied.

The tall, dark creatures stepped out from behind Thanos and raised their hands towards Loki. They hovered there for a moment, before they suddenly started trembling slightly.

Thanos lowered his head a bit, eyes narrowing.

The God of Mischief still stood in the same place, as if completely unaffected.

That was when Thor came flying in, arm outstretched as he led with the hammer in his hand.

Thanos raised a fist to knock him away, but suddenly remembered that the heir of Asgard shouldn't have Mjolnir. His hand vanished right through the illusion. By the time he looked back to Loki, his former servant was gone.

Thanos did a quick sweep of the area around him with his eyes. He started to back up with his last two precious dark slaves when he spotted movement out of the corner of his gaze. He turned to it and would have sent Loki flying backwards with a sharp hit if the Silvertongue had been tangible. The more chaos created, the better chance the God had of getting to him.

Multiple Chitari were coming towards him, weapons drawn to fire upon the next assailant. But Thanos didn't react to the next illusion that appeared. He waited for it to vanish. He looked around swiftly as others appeared soon after.  
Finally, with a narrow of his eyes, he squeezed his fist shut and the power stone lit up.

Every image disappeared except one to his left. Loki gripped his temples in pain, taking a few steps back.

The portal that the Chitari were using immediately began to shrink, but Thanos didn't care. He walked towards the God.

"I know it isn't much compared to what you've been through, but I can only imagine the terrible memories this feeling must bring back." he said menacingly.

He did it again and this time Loki dropped to his hands and knees, jaw clenched in terrible strain. He let out a tiny moan before managing to vanish from that spot. Thanos released the power he held over him. The portal had been about to close entirely and then it rebounded with the massive surge of energy that returned.

"I'll lose Anaheim before I lose you, Loki." he growled.

The God of Mischief materialized beside darkness-infused beings, desperately trying to kill them before Thanos could use the stone again. His first knife struck the first one. With a disgusting gush of blood from its throat, it fell, but he only managed to wound the second one before he was grabbed and thrown to the side out of pure fury. His back collided brutally with the rock wall, knocking the breath from his lungs. He barely managed to catch himself with his hands as he fell to the ground. Finding his bearings, he hastily tried to conjure himself away, but lost concentration as the pain overtook him again.

Thanos walked towards him, maintaining the stone's power the whole time. He could only keep the portal at a small size, but he also enjoyed every second of torturing the skin-colored frost giant.

Loki raised his head, trying to think through the pain. He'd felt worse than this, but it didn't matter. This is what was happening now. It was making every injury that he had begin to hurt. His hands just shook. Desperately, he reached out with his powers, jaw clenched. But, the last of Thanos' servants held him in place.

For a moment, the intensity of the stone increased, then faltered. Thanos completely let it go as thunder sounded over the battlefield.

Thor lifted his hand as Mjolnir shot across the sky and straight into his grasp with a loud crash of lightening from above him. He raised it and shot more into the sky with a yell.

Loki watched, the side of his mouth curved upward in triumph and relief. The stream of light could be seen from all across the courtyard.

Thanos' other creature was still alive, but Loki had killed the one who held the power over Mjolnir. And that was all Thor needed. He'd been operating as though his hammer was back on Earth. Clearly, one of the telekinetic beings had just been hauling it along.

Odin and Frigga stared as the the sky lit up with electricity. Any enemies who approached the God of Thunder were immediately thrust away by the energy surrounding him.

"They got it back!" Volstagg called to his friends, eyes excited.

Thor hurled his hammer at Thanos, lightening still crackling from it. The Titan swung a fist to deflect it, but he inevitably ended up flying backwards from the collision.

Thor called Mjolnir back, caught her mid air as he leapt towards his brother, and smashed her into the ground with another battle yell. The impact sent electricity across the ground and killed all of the Chitari coming to surround him and Loki.

The Asgardian men nearby let out a unified cheer, lifting their weapons in the air with both hands.

Thor took ahold of his brother and began to spin Mjolnir in order to launch the two of them across the battlefield. It buffeted the air, creating such a dust cloud that the princes were not visible until they were flying out of it.  
Thanos was up on his feet in just a few moments, glaring after them.

Thor landed a little ways behind their frontline and immediately turned around to see if Thanos had sent anyone after them. He lowered his raised hammer, taking in deep breaths. Then he glanced at his brother. His expression was briefly excited, but it morphed into fury.

"Are you an idiot?" he asked angrily.

"Are you currently holding your hammer?" Loki returned it with pointed question, sounding just as vehement. He leaned over slightly, trying to catch his breath.

Thor grunted as he glowered at the Frost Giant. Though, he couldn't really stay angry. He felt more like a contender in this battle now.

"I could have helped you. You do not have to do these things by yourself."

"Well, I couldn't have brought you. You're useless without Mjolnir." Finally, Loki broke into a small smile as he glanced up with exhausted eyes.

Thor shook his head warningly, but he let his brother take that taunt "We should get back. Tell them what has happened." he said.

"You go." Loki replied, finally straightening up. He waved a hand dismissively "Red Skull was not with him. I need to find the scepter."

"Everyone is searching for it. You'll know as soon as it's spotted." Thor protested.

"They don't need two of us to report. Go. I'll return when I have it. Thor, I can sense it better than anyone else."

So, Thor relented, turning his attention to the Jotuns fending off a quickly growing ground of Outriders.

"The Anaheimien soldiers must have been pulled from battle. Alfheim is here. Father must have switched-Loki!"

Thor let his hammer fall to the ground as he caught his stumbling brother. Loki was bent over in pain, one hand pressed just below his ribcage. Blood seeped between his fingers as the wound hemorrhaged.

"We need to get you back, now." Thor said, keeping Loki upright as he bent to get his hammer.

"No." Loki hissed, pushing off of him. Sweat beaded on his forehead at the new pain.

"You're wounded!" Thor snapped, seeing the agony on his younger brother's face.

"No, I will see this through." Loki growled. He pressed down on the blood soaked hole in his clothing and Thor saw the brief green glow as the injury closed over.

"That only helps for a moment." he said incredulously "You need a healer."

"I'll see one once Thanos is dead. Go and tell them that you have your hammer back. I'm going to find the scepter." Loki responded, gaze intense as he surveyed the field. Then he began to walk towards the palace, taking careful breaths to give the wound more time to heal.

Thor stared after him in concern, knowing there was no way to convince him. The God of Mischief had not gotten hurt here as far as Thor knew, which meant that this injury was from Thanos' torturers. And it would be bleeding heavily without Loki's intervention.

* * *

Hena watched as her father gave instructions to Firo as well as a few other guards. Their men had finally all made it back in and the injured were being helped by Anaheim's maids as well as some of Alfheim's shamans. She couldn't even bear to look among her soldiers, scared of recognizing which of them were missing. And worst of all, they didn't know if Adden was still alive either. Hena felt absolutely terrified for her sister, but she didn't want to lose one of her oldest friends either.

Valder was preparing himself to go and look for his daughter. As such, he made sure that the information necessary to lead in his absence was passed on to his most trusted men.

Svleiva stood in her same place she had before, but her guards had left to help the army retreat safely. Oddly enough, however, two of the Frost Giants that had stayed nearby were hovering quite close to her. Loki had said nothing to them, but they observed any newcomer with the same wariness as the Anaheimien soldiers. Svleiva glanced up at them occasionally, but she said nothing to dissuade them. Clearly, an alliance with the Frost Giants was binding. They acted as though they'd never had a feud with Asgard before.

Quite honestly, she suspected they knew she was carrying a child and that they had an instinctive urge to defend her. That, or they knew she was connected to Loki somehow. Whatever the cause, she was very grateful to have them there.

And, the Jotuns were ready to fight in an instant when Thor suddenly landed in the middle of their bunker. He stared at them briefly before turning his attention his parents.

"Thanos' servants were holding it on Earth. The dark ones. Loki killed one of them, but he needs the scepter." he said, without any greeting "Have we located it?"

"No, but I imagine Red Skull is going to attempt to use it shortly." Odin responded tensely.

"Why?" Thor asked sharply.

"They will want to take some of our side to theirs." the king replied "If we have not even sighted it since the battle began, there is a good chance it is being purposefully hidden. Where is Loki? He should tell the Frost Giants to be on the look same as Asgard."

Frigga looked to her son earnestly, wondering the same thing.

"He went to look for it himself." Thor replied, avoiding their gaze "He should know their tactics better than anyone else."

But his mother was not fooled by his words. Her oldest son had always been an open book. He could hide nothing like Loki could. And right now, his expression told that something was wrong.

"Are you going back out?" Thor turned to Hena, who had come over. The princess shook her head.

"I will wait until my father comes back or until I need to join him to find Mazi." she said.

"We'll join you if you are." Sif said from her place beside Fandral. They'd come in just a few minutes before him, reporting of the damage on different spots in the fighting.

"Good, let's go." Thor said determinedly.

"If you see Loki, tell him to come in." Frigga said after her son as he left "He cannot fight without rest, no matter how brief he would make it."

Thor nodded without looking back at her.

* * *

Red Skull waved a hand to send the group of Chitari forward. He glanced behind at the rest of them that were following. When they came across the little princess, he wanted to take the Anaheimien guards by surprise with a second wave of soldiers. They would exhaust themselves fighting the first one and he would go in to take Mazi for himself. Then, at least one of Valder's men would be left alive to go and report. He had debated with himself for a while about being sure to take the girl's life where the kings and queens could see, but ended up deciding that it would be too risky.

Adden had moved since the Chitari had seen him last, so they were tracking him down now. To Red Skull's annoyance, they couldn't find their way through the palace very quickly. It took them several tries to find the correct hall and make it to the opposite side. They could have just take the longer way around the castle, but he didn't know if they had taken the young princess to hide there instead of with the other women and children.

They made it to the exit without any excitement. Then, the Chitari blasted through the doors to the outside. Red Skull immediately smiled as he saw who was just leaving the palace grounds.

* * *

Loki yanked his dagger from one of the Outriders and it screeched briefly as it died. Another one was upon him in a second. It snarled as it leapt at him, teeth bared. Loki stumbled back slightly, trying to get his bearings, but one of his Frost Giants ripped the creature off of him and threw it across the courtyard.

Odin's younger son was surrounded by both Asgardian and Jotun soilders. More of them had moved across the battlefield where the fighting was worse. When Anaheim rejoined, they would take that place, allowing Asgard and Jotunheim to move closer to their own side.

Loki watched as the Frost Giants ran right at Thanos' guerrillas. It was nearly impossible to fight the Outriders once they overtook their victim. But, unlike every other soldier here, the Jotuns could not be toppled over with blunt force.

Now, he switched his attention to scan the entire courtyard. He wasn't close enough for Thanos to see him, but he certainly wouldn't be surprised if the Chitari reported that he was still nearby.

Thor getting his hammer back was certainly a blow to the God of Death. The oldest son of Odin could travel almost instantaneously to wherever his side needed him to be in that moment. And Thanos knew it.

Tony hovered up above Loki briefly, although he wasn't looking below. Now that they had help, he'd been partly relieved of his watch duty. He was taking care of the enemies trying to skirt around the frontlines and get to the kings and queens.

"You guys, I am seeing something real weird in the distance here." he said.

"With the Tesseract?" Captain America immediately responded. Even over radio, his voice sounded tense.

"No, the other way, Rogers." the millionaire's eyes flicked across his screen as Jarvis ran a scan.

"More aliens? Different ones?" Hawkeye asked.

Tony fell silent on the other side of the connection. Hawkeye raised one hand to his radio just in case it was malfunctioning.

"Tony?" he asked "Are you still there?"

"Yep, and we've got a problem." the billionaire replied, finishing his sentence with a long hum.  
"The big guys are coming in."

Captain America paused and then turned to looked across the field. Sure enough, he could see one of the massive, snake-like Chitari flying through the open portal.

"Their Heimdall guy can see this, right?" Tony asked, coming to a stop midair "There's only one, but I'm guessing there are more on the way. My messenger time is over. I'm headed in."

"Tony, be careful." Captain America warned.

"Um, does it look like I've been fighting Rogers? We've got to take these things out before they get any closer to the damn children back there." he replied. He paused, waiting for Jarvis to analyze the flight pattern "If I don't make it back guys, someone promise me that you'll take up being the only happy person on the team."

"I thought we were on anti-depressants for that." Hawkeye said indignantly.

Captain America watched as Tony left before his eyes caught a familiar sight to the right of them.

"Tony, ask Loki how to best take these things down. He'll know better than we will." he said quickly.

"Too late." Tony responded with a grunt "I'm sure I'll catch him the next time around."

* * *

For every Frost Giant around the palace, there were about three Chitari. Loki usually had his two guards by him, but they were occupied with fighting a few hundred yards away. The God of Mischief had made his way over there, hoping to see Red Skull. But, it was the same as everywhere else.

The attack on the palace had seemingly been abandoned for a little while, but they were back now and Loki wasn't sure why. He knew Thanos wasn't one to order pointless attacks. And if it was intended to be a diversion, he hadn't sent enough of his creatures to make it significant. There was absolutely no reason for the Chitari to be bere.

A few moments later, just as Loki was contemplating leaving, he felt a very familiar vitality. The energy he was searching for. But, that distracted him for a moment and he was immediately overtaken by a black and yellow Outrider. It slammed him into the ground and he grunted in pain, wincing as he tried to shove it off.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the red skin and glow of the scepter as they moved in the opposite direction of where he was fighting. Then he saw the Red Skull's intended target.

"Mazi, _NO_!" he screamed, the sudden surge of his Asgardian power allowing him to shove the Outrider off of him. He killed it with one blow and started sprinting across the grass.

 _"Adden, move!"_ he yelled.

The Anaheimien soldier turned swiftly at his name and instinctively lifted his spear to block the blow from the scepter. Red Skull growled in frustration in the half of a second before he was thrown to the side. Then, Adden looked around, trying to find the source that had warned him. But, there wasn't enough time to do that. Red Skull was already getting up, now angrier than ever. The two guards stepped in front of Mazi as he came for them again. This time though, Loki leapt at the mutant. The force sent both of them roughly into the ground a few feet away.

Adden stared in shock as the God of Mischief got to his feet, expression just slightly pained.

"Get her out of here." Loki said, trying to catch his breath.

"Loki!" Mazi piped up, eyes wide.

"You are in _no_ condition to fight." Adden replied angrily.

"Dammit, Adden, get Mazi out of here!" Loki snarled in return. He could feel the blood beginning to flow again under his armor, but he resisted putting magic to it right then. Instead, he turned back to face his hated enemy.

Red Skull was circling him with a sneer on his face.

"Always there to _save_ the day." he snarled "I never knew monsters could be so caring."

The snake-like Chitari let out a screech across the battlefield, but Loki's gaze didn't waver.

"Mazi, how you like the Frost Giant now?" Red Skull demanded of the girl. He glared at Loki "Weak and treacherous as he is."

The God of Mischief said nothing, but he launched himself at Red Skull. He pushed the scepter upward so that it didn't hit him, but the mutant shoved back, forcing Loki to retreat to keep his balance.

Adden watched for a moment, eyes uncertain. He was torn between taking Mazi himself or staying to help. The Frost Giants were busy with the rest of the Chitari. But, then he spotted more of the Outriders clawing their way over to them. So, he turned, grabbed Mazi and began running to his king and queen as quickly as he could.

"Looks like you're on your own, God of Mischief." Red Skull spat.

"You seem to forget that I defeat you every time we fight." Loki replied scathingly.

"You seem to forget that I have the scepter. Should I use it to turn you against your beloved Hena?" the mutate asked mockingly. He jerked his head as a sharp knife whipped past his face in response.

* * *

The guards surrounding Mazi stared warily around, trying to keep surveillance on every angle at once. They weren't far from the leaders bow. But more and more Outriders became aware of their presence. They were slowly becoming enclosed by the creatures. Mazi screamed as one of them leapt at Adden. He killed it with a stab through the chest and threw it to the ground.

Nearly a quarter mile away, the Frost Giants by Svleiva raised their heads sharply. She watched anxiously as they looked at each other.

"That's her." one of them growled. In unison, the two of them leaped up and hurried up to the top of the hill.

"The princess." the same one said shortly towards Valder before both of them took off towards the fighting. The king stared after them, then shifted his gaze to Svleiva.

"Mazi." she breathed at him.

"Loki must have ordered them to find her." Frigga said. She lifted her eyes to the horrible battle she could see a little ways off.

"She's in there." Even in those few words, she could hear the pure terror in Valder's voice. He picked up his sword from its spot leaning on the wall and followed the Jotuns. Svleiva grabbed Hena's wrist, even though her daughter hadn't attempted to leave yet.

"Go with him!" Odin waved his guards forward urgently.

"Mother, I should go as well." Hena said worriedly.

Svleiva didn't reply but she watched with creased eyebrows. The giant Chitari was very slowly making its way in their direction as well, despite Tony distracting it at every second.

* * *

The Frost Giants could run quicker than any Asgardian. They reached the chaos in just a few minutes. There were more than just two now. The group of them leapt into battle with a roar. The Outriders let out squeals as they were suddenly trampled to the ground. Ice blades formed on the Jotuns arms and they began swinging them at any Chitari-like creature they could find.

Adden looked up in pure relief. One of his men was down and he and the other were not far from it. The princess was unharmed, but she was exposed now. He turned to attack the creatures attacking from the other side as the Frost Giants arrived. They encircled Mazi and then slowly let their circle grow to kill the incoming enemies as they spread out. It didn't take long for the numbers to begin to dwindle. As the last few in that immediate circle ran at them, the Jotuns converged towards each other and leapt that the Chitari. Then, without another word, they ran into the rest of the fighting.

Adden swallowed as he tried catch his breath. Then he heard his king's voice and turned to see him sprinting over.

"Daddy!" Mazi voice cracked as she broke down into tears. As soon as Valder reached her, he picked her up in a tight hug, eyes closing. He trembled slightly as he wrapped one hand around her head and pressed her into his chest.

The other guard-the one still standing-walked over to the man on the ground.

"Alive?" the king asked solemnly.

The solider shook his head and the soldier shook his head. Valder let out a deep breath and carefully let his daughter slide to the ground.

The Asgardian soldiers who had arrived went over to help them pick up the body.

"Are you injured?" The king asked, looking at Adden.

"Slightly, but it can wait until we get back to post." the man responded "Loki is fighting someone for the scepter back there. He'll need help."

Valder paused, almost as if he was considering leaving for that himself. Then he just nodded and grabbed Mazi's hand.

"I'll tell the others when we get back."

* * *

Loki raked the knife down Red Skull's lower arm, leaving a very deep gash in its place. The former mortal yelled in pain, instinctively jerking back. The Asgardian knives were sharper than any kind he'd ever encountered. But, there was also a chance they were fortified with magic. In which case, he didn't think they could get much sharper. He looked up at the God of Mischief with narrowed eyes before swinging the scepter at him sharply.

"What was it, Loki?" he snarled "You had everything with Thanos. Arguably his favorite servant. What made you feel so loyal to the family that didn't love you?"

"I suppose disloyalty is just a habit." Loki responded as they simultaneously blocked each other's strikes.

"Why are you serving Thor?" Red Skull asked "And that _idiotic_ excuse for a soldier?"

"I'm not serving Thor." Loki replied. He pulled back as the sceptor scraped just below his eye.

"Careful or you'll end up like your pseudo father." Red Skull sneered.

Loki grabbed the staff and roughly twisted it. Red Skull growled in pain and the two of them went right back into their very familiar pattern of fighting. They deviated to try and catch each other off guard, but they knew each other's techniques too well.

The Frost Giants nearby weren't able to come to their king's aid. Not all of them were even aware that he was fighting anything more than another Chitari.

"What's your plan then, Loki? You know he has more than he brought here. Perhaps, I'm the one who's been played. Are you and Thanos executing this behind my back? Lure all the nine realms in to get slaughtered and take away all of Asgard's defenses?" Red Skull spat.

"It doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't tell you." Loki responded mockingly. His movements were unaffected by his injury, but his eyes were beginning to reflect a bit of pain.

"You know, I thought you were finished when we sent you to Jotunheim. I see that I was wrong. But, unfortunately for you, I'm one of the only people who knows exactly what we did to you." Red Skull responded. Instead of using the scepter, he used his fist to dig right into Loki's freshly bleeding wound. The God of Mischief gasped, bending over slightly from the sharp agony. He backed away, keeping one hand pressed into the gaping skin under his clothes.

Red Skull watched for a moment, smiling faintly. He readjusted the scepter in his hand and took a step forward. A loud clang of metal on metal shocked him as a large round shield rebounded off of the staff in his hand.

It flew back into Captain America's hand and he leapt right at the mutant. He hit him straight on and sent Red Skull several feet back and into the ground.

Loki winced in pain as he tried to stand upright. Captain America threw his shield again, but Red Skull fired a blast from the scepter. It blasted into the vibranium and a wave of energy exploded between them. The soldier didn't stop, however, which came as a surprise to Hydra's former leader. His shield had been thrown off course and now lay several yards away.

They engaged in combat, blow for blow. Red Skull bared his teeth angrily.

"You just don't give up." he hissed angrily.

"I get that." Captain America punched him in the side, making the mutant step back. Then he continued under his breath "A lot."

"I think that might be best turned against your friends, Captain." Red Skull replied. He dove in with the scepter and the solider evaded it with a dodge to the side.

"It really does dull the senses. Makes you capable of things you never thought you could be." Red Skull mused with a clench of his jaw "Just ask your friend. The SHIELD agent."

"I think I like my senses intact." Captain America replied. Then he ran past the mutant and dived to get his shield.

Red Skull jerked in his direction, trying his best to either stab or take control of the Avenger.

Captain America whipped around, using his shield to smack the him away. Then he got back to his feet and swung his weapon at the mutant several times. Red Skull blocked it each time with the scepter, eyes squinted.

The Frost Giants had finally begun to overcome the huge group of Chitari and a few of them were headed over. But they still had a long way to come.

The tip of the scepter caught the edge of Captain America's shield and then ripped it out of the soldier's grasp. It flew to the side, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop.

Loki's two daggers caught the scepter just as it Red Skull moved it towards Captain America's chest. He had materialized out of nowhere. In an instant, he thrust a knife into the former mortal's torso. Then he used the other to slit his throat without even a pause. He watched with narrowed eyes as Red Skull reached one hand towards his neck with his mouth open wordlessly.

The God of Mischief yanked his knife back and the mutant crumpled to the ground.

Captain America stared for a moment as Loki caught his breath. He was covered in blood, though a lot of it was from Red Skull. The God winced and slid his blades back into his armor. Then he leaned down and picked up the scepter.

"Are you alright?" Captain America asked, eyeing his bloodstained clothing.

"Tell Odin and Valder I have the scepter." Loki replied, without responding to his question. He let out a deep breath and started walking back into the battlefield.

"Loki." Captain America followed him immediately "You're wounded." he reached to grab his shoulder as if to take him back himself.

"No. I'm turning the Chitari around." Loki responded, shaking him off with a grimace. He'd closed the gash again and the blood had stopped.

Captain America just watched him for several seconds, completely perplexed by the amount of change that had happened in the man in front of him. Then he looked up, remembering that they had a rather urgent problem to deal with. At the moment, Tony was leading the massive Chitari around in circles, but a lot of damage was being done in the process. Asgardians, Jotuns, and some of the Alfheim elves were all trying to take it down, but having little success. And it was too low to the ground for Thor to send a surge of lightening at it.

Loki went up onto a pile of ice that had accumulated and surveyed the field. Then he raised the scepter and the orb began to glow. The nearby Chitari immediately looked over. Little by little, the God of Mischief slowly gained more and more attention.

The large Chitari began flying towards him and then Loki pointed his scepter towards the opposite side of the courtyard. It turned slightly, setting sights on it's new target.

The Chitari obeyed who had the scepter, but they also obeyed their principle commander. The half that was nearest Thanos were still fighting for him, but now they also had to fight against their own.

Loki lowered his staff and then backed down off the hill.

"You did it." Captain America said quietly, watching as if he wasn't quite sure that he believed what he saw.

"Not yet." the God of Mischief replied grimly, making the man glance over at him. He let out a deep breath and then finally turned to head back to their side.

* * *

Valder arrived back in camp out of breath from having run most the way. Svleiva hurried past Odin and Frigga, dropping to her knees so that she could hug her little girl. Mazi wrapped her arms around her mother's neck in return. Hena went to stand by her father, arms folded protectively. A moment later Valder crouched down, putting a gentle hand on his wife's back.  
Svleiva had tears streaming down her cheeks as she rocked her daughter side to side.

"Why are they all here?" Mazi asked softly, her voice catching as she took in a deep, unexpected breath. Her mother coughed, a soft sob preventing her from answering right off.

"They're evil." she whispered "They want power. That's all they want." she released her daughter "But we'll keep you safe. You're okay now."

"Loki's fighting Red Skull." Adden said, looking at the king and queen of Asgard "He distracted him so that I could get Mazi away. He'll need help. Red Skull has the scepter."

Frigga opened her mouth, ready to volunteer and then she looked at Odin.

"Can you see him?" the king asked Heimdall.

"My sight is still slightly limited here." the watchman replied, gazing out into the field "I cannot view him now."

"Show me where." Odin switched his eye to Adden. The soldier nodded quickly, instinctively beckoning him forward.

"I am going as well." Hena said. Mazi leaned to hug her legs and Hena placed her hands on the back of her little sister's head comfortingly.

A sudden bright blue light in the distance made her look away sharply. Odin squinted as it pulsed a moment. No one needed to say what it was aloud. Frigga stepped forward with her husband so that she could more clearly see the field.

The flying Chitari that Tony was diligently guiding changed paths and began heading back towards the portal it came from. The soldiers that had been fighting it slowed their pace, confused by its sudden lack of interest in them.

"He has it. He turned them around." Frigga said, her voice confident.

 **This chapter literally ruled my life for the past month. If there is anyway that you could leave me a kind word, I would appreciate it so much. You have no idea.**  
 **More to come! :) Battle isn't over!**


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